In the forested landscape of Sutton, Quebec, Maison de la Coulée douce reconsiders how multiple generations can inhabit a shared domestic environment without sacrificing privacy or calm. Designed by La Nony FAMILI in collaboration with Le Local Design, the 3,990-square-foot residence occupies a sloping site overlooking a small pond, where orientation and restraint guide every architectural decision.
HOUSING
The house adopts a simple, elongated form that follows the terrain and maximizes natural light while preserving existing trees. From the outset, the clients, designers, and contractor aligned around a clear objective: to create a human-scale dwelling that integrates with its surroundings, performs efficiently, and avoids unnecessary gestures. The resulting structure reads as discreet and grounded, shaped more by use and rhythm than by spectacle.
This project marks a second residential collaboration between the family and the design team, enabling a deeper exploration of daily patterns and intergenerational coexistence. That continuity proved critical when, during construction, a budget adjustment required a significant redesign. With the foundation already poured, the team revised the project in under forty-eight hours, eliminating a floor, merging functions, and recalibrating technical drawings. The revised scheme strengthened the initial vision by producing a more compact and coherent home.
Inside, the spatial organization acts as a framework for harmonious cohabitation. Each zone provides autonomy and acoustic comfort while maintaining visual and emotional continuity. Lighting and sound treatment, central to La Nony FAMILI’s methodology, shape the interior atmosphere. Rather than decorative elements, they function as structuring tools that define mood and reinforce a sense of quiet stability.
The main entrance opens onto a generous living area anchored by a built-in micro-cement ensemble. Integrated seating and custom elements form a sculptural volume arranged around a central fireplace and oriented toward expansive glazing facing the pond. The mineral surface introduces a tactile quality rarely seen in Quebec residences, recalling vernacular traditions associated with Mediterranean and Mexican interiors. The same material appears in the primary bedroom, reinforcing continuity and grounding the home in a restrained material language.
The kitchen, positioned slightly back from the primary living zone, gains intimacy through a transitional volume that contains the mudroom and pantry. A substantial custom wooden unit introduces rhythm and defines circulation without closing off space. Wood extends across furniture and most ceilings, adding warmth to the otherwise mineral palette.
Emotional intent guided the interior direction from the beginning. Associate designer Aza Lussier frames each project around a simple question: how should the occupants feel? In this case, connection, both internal and relational, became the guiding principle. Walls in light neutral tones allow filtered forest light to shape the interiors throughout the day. Cotton, linen, rattan, artisan tiles, and timber contribute texture and depth without visual excess.
Arches and rounded forms recur across architecture, furniture, and lighting, softening transitions and ensuring formal coherence. Circulation remains fluid, and sightlines reinforce a constant dialogue between interior and forest. The house functions as a cocoon that accommodates retreat and gathering with equal ease.
Realized in close collaboration with local artisans and professionals from the Sutton region, Maison de la Coulée douce reflects a process grounded in listening and precision. Cabinetry by Gaiac and Jean François Néron, micro-cement by Surfaces organiques, and contributions from regional craftspeople anchor the project in its geographic context.
