Alain Carle Architecte is a Québecois architecture firm whose style is self-described as modest. Led by Alain Carle himself, who graduated from the School of Architecture of University of Montréal, the firm has received a lot of recognition in the past few years by many publications.

In 2013, the firm completed L'Écran, a home situated in Wenworth-Nord, Canada. Surrounded by nature, the house is a minimal sculpture that was raised from the ground with black brick claddings and wooden interiors. Situated on a site with slopes, the architecture was broken into fragments and connected through the use of materials. The use of a black exterior was to create a heat absorbent to then cut down the energy use of house in such a cold environment. Wooden panels also create a sense of warmth for the residents.

The contrast of the white walls against the black bricks, one smooth and one rough, complemented with shades of brown from wooden panels, was what drawn me to this structure. The abruptness of its appearance on the site is not foreign, but rather like a response to its surroundings.

Photography courtesy of Alain Carle Architecte.