Project: Mont Tremblant Ski Chalet
Architects: Stephane Gaulin-Brown
Project location: Mont Tremblant, Québec, Canada
Completion year: 2022
Photo Credits: Stephane Gaulin-Brown, Valerie Lacroix
Ski chalet built in Mont Tremblant Québec that draws inspiration from the early Tremblant ski culture as well as the natural context.
Stephane Gaulin-Brown Design is excited to announce the completion of his latest chalet design, which draws inspiration from the historical and natural surroundings of Mont Tremblant, Québec. This new chalet is a modern take on the classic ski experience, combining traditional and contemporary design elements to create a unique space that reflects the beauty, history, and culture of the region.
The design process involved extensive research into Mont Tremblant’s rich cultural and natural heritage. The suave adventurous spirit of the early pioneers like Stan Ferguson and Hans Falkner, as well as 1940’s après-ski paintings of cozy hangouts around the fireplace, served as inspiration for the design. The design also grew out of the natural context: the ferns, the birch trees, the deer, and the large glacial boulders strewn across the forest floor.
The exterior of the chalet features painted wood siding, divided into upper and lower portions. The bottom section is black vertical board and batten, while the upper portion is an ochre colored horizontal tongue and groove. The design allows the large band of windows along the main facade to blend in with the dark lower band, creating a darkened base, like charred logs from which the upper ochre portion rises like a fire. This motif is enhanced by the continuation of the siding upwards into the curving soffit. Furthermore, this shape recalls the traditional québecoise roof with its curved ends.
At 1400 sq ft the chalet has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. To maximize the living area, the bedrooms were designed on an intimate scale. The main living area walls are clad in a stain resistant russian plywood, which adds a natural warmth to the space. On the north end of the living space, the fireplace and T.V cabinet are conceptually designed together with the base made from poured concrete creating an ideal area for storing firewood. The fireplace is clad in powder coated steel, which wraps underneath the wall cabinet hiding the TV and board games during the day. Its rounded corner allows for a fluid sense of space moving into the master bedroom. Above the cabinet is a mechanical space covered in copper-toned metal panels that reflect the lights of the space, creating a warm dreamy glow.
Recessed uplit LED lighting along the length of the main living space adds drama, ultimately making the living room into a kind of film set ready for après-ski hangouts. At the other end of the living space, the kitchen uses the same logic of the cabinet top, with more copper-toned metal paneling crowning the kitchen block, creating a suave carefree vibe reminiscent of early Tremblant pioneers. Historical images, sourced with permission from the National Library of Québec, are framed around the house to make the sense of history visceral. In the master bedroom, a historical photo of the original Mont Tremblant steam train is printed on a large scale across the whole wall.
The living room windows running horizontally from wall to wall, allow for an intimate and panoramic view while 12 foot ceilings rise up above them. The height of the windows lines up just above the head of an average-sized person. Outside, the land slopes up, and from the interior, all one can see is the forest floor, covered in ancient glacial erratic boulders the roaming white-tailed deer.
The ultimate goal was to design a space that feels both modern and timeless, perfectly embodying the essence of Mont Tremblant as it is and as it could be.
