Montreal studio Thellend Fortin Architectes has paired greyscale materials with woodwork both inside and out of this rural holiday home in Quebec.
Thellend Fortin Architectes completed the 490-square-metre chalet outside of Quebec City in Petite-Rivière-Saint-Francois – a small municipality close to popular Le Massif ski resort .

Called Long Horizontals, the property comprises a series of volumes that are embedded and stacked into the top of a hill, with views of the Saint Lawrence River estuary to the south.

Blocks are clad in anthracite grey wood and greyish panels to blend into the forested setting.
"This monochrome palette was designed to offset the natural surroundings, which are snow-white in the winter and forest-green in the summertime," architect and studio co-founder Louis Thellend told Dezeen.
Large concrete chimneys for wood-burning fires rise up between the different volumes to punctuate the residence.

"Because the site is located on a strong slope, we wanted to express massive concrete volumes to anchor it to the site, like pillars," said Thellend. "These concrete volumes rise above the long horizontal bands to balance out the overall massing."

An exception to the grey exterior is the wood cladding that lines the underside of the overhanging roof at the main entrance, covering an area for stacking firewood and the garage.
"By adding a natural wood cladding here, we wanted guests to feel a welcoming atmosphe...