Situated in Laurentides, Canada, the minimal Poisson Blanc cottage sits within a rugged topography, anchored against the sloping terrain, revealing an angular and monolithic architecture. Designed by _naturehumaine, the cottage’s form exemplifies a traditional compact house, resulting in a reduced footprint on the site. The programme of the cottage features a square frame topped with a symmetrical gabled roof, which reinforces its simple geometric appearance.

The interior of the project is where we transition from simplicity to minimalism. The space, although modest in scale, offers on the essential with clean and modern utilities and furnishings. The space also reveals a height under exposed joists that gives a sense of verticality to the interior. Visible from the living spaces, the cross-section nature of the roof echoes the name of the lake by recalling the skeleton of a fish, as well as its immaculate colour.

Modesty is clear throughout the project, whether it’s the reduction of circulation areas, the creation of compact spaces, or the grouping of utilities. The triumph of this box-like cottage (or chalet) is the clever framing of views towards the surrounding landscape, complimented by the use of simple and affordable materials, such as maple veneer panels, which form the integrated storage units.

This is an exercise in simple architecture that explores the purity of the basic geometry, and does so beautifully.