Bricault Design shapes house to "share a language with the surrounding peaks" in Canada
Canadian studio Bricault Design has created a cabin informed by adjacent mountain peaks, featuring green roofs and slate cladding, to age in tandem with its wooded site in British Columbia, Canada.
Known as Whistler Hideaway, the 1,268-square-foot (118-square-metre) residence balances the relationship between the sanctuary of the interior and the rugged landscape around the cabin.
Bricault Design, a Vancouver-based practice, prioritised pedestrian and vehicular approaches that allowed residents and visitors to make the structure appear embedded in the landscape. The siting also preserved existing wildlife corridors for local fauna.
"We wanted the architecture to share a language with the surrounding peaks, resulting in an angular, rugged form reminiscent of the steep shale slopes found above the tree line," Marc Bricault told Dezeen, explaining that the self-contained cabin nestles into the property without interrupting the view corridor.
"Complemented by coastal Douglas fir and terraced green roofs, the design anchors itself in the forest while echoing the beauty of the alpine meadows."
On the exterior, charcoal slate tile, copper details and Douglas fir soffits will patina over time to further blend the cabin into the landscape. Durable porcelain floors transition seamlessly from the exterior to the interior.
The program is arranged along the natural slope of the land with communal areas on the lower floors and private spaces on the upper levels, where Pacific madrone – a warm-toned native hardwood – creates an intimate, hand-crafted atmosphere.
Hidden storage and integrated millwork carry throughout the cabin to reduce clutter and maximise the space.
"This vertical organization creates a sense of total immersion in the surroundings," the team said. "This allowed us to maintain a compact footprint that feels spacious without imposing an outsized presence on the delicate mountain site."
Throughout the cabin, Bricault arranged a series of intentional frames that balance views out to the landscape and privacy from neighbouring properties.
"For example, the living room is anchored by a deep, cantilevered window seat that projects the viewer out into the forest, while the bedroom suite is elevated into the tree canopy to create a treehouse-like experience," the studio said.
In addition to triple-glazed windows and locally sourced, renewable materials, the high-performance envelope is topped with terraced green roofs that support drought-resistant plant species with a high-efficiency subsurface irrigation system.
"What makes this project special is the 'small house, big craft' philosophy," the studio said, calling out custom fluted furniture legs, form-bent mirror frames and copper screens etched with a Japanese floral motif.
"These details serve as constant reminders of the project’s handmade origins, creating a home that feels uniquely rooted in its site and perfectly tailored to reflect the client’s personal, eclectic style."
The studio previously wrapped a Los Angeles home in plants.
Other residential projects recently completed in Vancouver include a home with a continuous curved facade by Architecture Building Culture, an overhaul of a condemned house by D’Arcy Jones Architects and a beach house with a folding facade by The Airey Group and Andrea McLean.
The photography is by Janis Nicolay.
Project credits:
Design Team: Marc Bricault, Travis Stasney, Maxime Millard
Contractor: Vision Pacific Construction
Structural: Chalten Engineering
Interiors: Bricault Design
Millwork: Ted Belch, Ebony Millwork
Custom milling: Swiftsure Milling and Mouldings
Metal fabrication: Metal Mart
Landscape: High Country Landscape
Furniture & lighting: Inform Interiors, Livingspace, Lightform
Artwork: Rebecca Bayer, Bill Pechet
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