Territoire Charlevoix

Territoire Charlevoix, 2022, La Malbaie, QC

Balancing rusticity and modernity, they are warm and functional spaces, conductive to tranquility and evasion.

Minimalist by design, the rustic installations integrate themselves in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings.

Perched on slender legs, the small cabins blend into the wild landscape with minimal impact on the ground.

The volume of the shelters is distinguished by its single-slope roof, which follows the natural topography of the site.

It is through this family of varied buildings, all carefully integrated into their environment, that visitors to the site are invited to quietly discover the place for a complete immersion in the territory.

These height variations give a hierarchy to the spaces and create, without cluttering the plan, a separation between the work area of the kitchen and the rest area of the bed.

At Territoire, architecture regains its essential functions, providing shelter from the elements, first and foremost, but also breaking free from the parameters of habit to offer a space of well-being sheltered from time.

The structures encourage us to reconsider our relationship with construction and the reduced impact our buildings could have on our world, without sacrificing what is essential to our well-being and our complex relationship with our territories.

TypeHospitality

LocationLa Malbaie, QC

Year2022

TeamJérôme Codère, Vincent Pasquier, Pia Hocheneder, Francis Martel-Labrecque, Nicolas Lapierre

ConstructionConstruction Éclair

PhotoRaphaël Thibodeau

Territoire Charlevoix is a singular concept of experiential camping set in the Canadian wilderness. The vast forest site is located inland between La Malbaie and Baie-Saint-Paul. The remote location offers spectacular panoramic views of the magnificent Charlevoix region of Quebec and its infinite landscape.

The unique experience proposed by Territoire inspired the designers to develop an architectural response deeply influenced by its context. This led to a series of structures that are simple, yet varied; familiar, yet unusual. Immersed in nature, these site-adapted constructions provide rest, comfort, security, escape, and entertainment. Minimalist by design, the rustic installations integrate themselves in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings. The various modules imagined by Atelier L'Abri include camping shelters, viewing platforms with communal kitchens, and a visitor center that houses a forest buvette.

Living in the buildings of Territoire Charlevoix inspires us to slow down and embrace degrowth. These simple structures, made with limited means, bring us back to the essence of our needs, while offering a tremendous opportunity to reconnect with nature. They encourage us to reconsider our relationship with construction and the reduced impact our buildings could have on our world, without sacrificing what is essential to our well-being and our complex relationship with our territories.