In the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Matière Première Architecture and its long-time construction partner Nu Drom found more than a project, they secured a permanent base for their shared vision. Alongside a third collaborator from the woodworking industry, the two studios acquired a pine-covered site overlooking Highway 10, just outside the town of Magog. Together, they designed and constructed two buildings: one for artisanal production, the other to serve as an architectural office and public-facing space. Though each structure plays a distinct role, they form a cohesive architectural ensemble, unified through placement, material, and intent.
The team approached the site with care. Previously home to a beloved restaurant, the land carried layers of local memory. Instead of erasing those traces, the architects listened, to the topography, the cultural context, and the surrounding forest. This act of attention informed every design decision moving forward.
Building with Rhythm and Light
The office’s silhouette draws from vernacular rural forms. It avoids spectacle and instead prioritizes proportion, rhythm, and usability. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in changing light, shifting the atmosphere across the day and seasons.
“We wanted the building to live and breathe in rhythm with its surroundings,” says project architect Marc-Antoine Chrétien. Every opening aims to build a direct relationship with the outdoors. That intent continues on the surface: white cedar cladding, untreated by design, will weather naturally, allowing the structure to evolve alongside its environment.
Soft Thresholds and Natural Edges
Landscape design played a crucial role in defining the project’s tone. The team preserved large sections of the untouched terrain, resisting the urge to overly sculpt the forested site. Instead, they introduced low concrete planters and carefully placed paving to form a transition zone, a deliberate threshold that gently asserts human presence without overwhelming the ecosystem.
Francis Provost, both landscape architect and project manager, emphasizes the value in restraint. “Design can assert itself quietly,” he says. “You don’t need to overwrite a site to be part of it.”
An Interior That Holds Space
Inside the building, the architecture balances openness with intimacy. A sculptural staircase made of folded steel and topped in oak acts as a visual and structural hinge. It connects the more public spaces below with the studio upstairs, where the creative work unfolds.
Materials play a tactile role throughout. Exposed beams, fabric-lined millwork, and a restrained material palette offer visual calm while supporting acoustic comfort. Project manager Samuel Godin explains, “These are functional choices as much as aesthetic ones. They make the space feel settled, without adding complexity.”
Flexibility also defines the design. The ground floor currently functions as a showroom but can easily transform into office space in the future, no demolition required. The team planned for adaptation from the beginning.
Passive Design in Practice
Natural light and thermal comfort shaped key decisions early in the process. Glazed facades face specific directions to manage solar exposure. On the southern side, a recessed glass wall offers winter warmth and summer shade, improving indoor conditions year-round. A timber screen along the western edge filters low-angle light in the afternoon, softening glare without closing off the view.
These passive strategies serve both comfort and energy use. They reflect the studio’s broader approach: let design work with the seasons, not against them. Light becomes a building material, shaping atmosphere as much as structure.
Architect: Matière Première Architecture
Contractor: Nu Drom Construction
Furniture: Ghauz & Atelier Vaste
Lighting: Lambert et fils, Artemide, Dals
Roof: Mac metal
Siding: Maxi-Foret
Floors: Unik parquet
Location: Magog, Canada
