A Contemporary Vision of Lakeside Living

On the shores of Lake Archambault in Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, in Quebec’s Lanaudière region, stands a residence that redefines contemporary lakeside living — an architecture where serenity, elegance and the natural landscape blend into a single, nuanced whole.

Completed in 2024 as a new-build home of 360 m², the project is designed by Montreal-based Ghoche Architect, a studio celebrated for its quiet, thoughtful approach to architecture—one that integrates seamlessly into its environment.

The house is composed of clean cubic volumes with flat roofs, minimizing its visual impact on the landscape and emphasizing the uninterrupted horizon that opens toward the lake. The exterior is clad in locally sourced, pre-finished white wood, reflecting light much like the calm surface of the water, while oak-framed windows soften the purity of the structure with a warm, tactile note. This carefully curated material language continues inside, where light wood, concrete and soft whites create a soothing palette reminiscent of Scandinavian retreats, yet rooted in the raw, resonant character of North American wilderness.

Interior and exterior dissolve into one another. A large veranda extends across the main volume, paired with a pergola built from exposed timber, forming a fluid transition between shelter and landscape. This architectural gesture expands the living space outward, drawing sunlight and lake reflections deep into the interior. Room layout and window placement are meticulously oriented to let natural light become the true protagonist of the home.

The landscape design by Friche Atelier relies exclusively on native species, supporting local biodiversity and minimizing maintenance. The house gently descends toward a red sandy shoreline, whose textures and hues create a monochromatic dialogue with the facade and surrounding rock formations. As the sun moves across the sky, large transparent surfaces capture shifting light, giving the residence a sense of quiet dynamism.

All structural solutions—developed in collaboration with engineering firm Geniex—are concealed behind an architecture that feels effortless, yet is rooted in precision, durability and an exceptional attention to detail. Photographer Maxime Brouillet captures this essence beautifully: a home that appears timeless, as though it has always belonged to the land, even though it is the result of meticulous contemporary design.

The architectural expression reflects the DNA of Ghoche Architect, founded by Rita Ghoche more than a decade ago, now synonymous with sensitive, understated luxury. Their work blends classical craftsmanship with a modern sensibility, creating spaces that are not only visually compelling but emotionally resonant and functionally refined.

The Lake Archambault residence becomes more than a modern home — it is an ode to harmonious living, to the land it inhabits, and to the belief that true architecture does not dominate the landscape but complements, honors and elevates it.