Montpellier House: Architecture as Refuge at the Edge of the Forest

Montpellier House by Vives St-Laurent blends into the forest of Mount Saint-Bruno with poetic architecture, a sculptural kitchen, and natural materials. A serene retreat where interior design meets landscape and daily rituals become design statements.

Tucked against the foot of Mount Saint-Bruno, just beyond Montreal, Montpellier House rests quietly within a dense forest canopy its architecture shaped not in contrast to nature, but in dialogue with it. Designed by Vives St-Laurent in collaboration with ATA Architecture, this 3,000 sq. ft. residence embraces its sloping terrain and woodland setting with a refined and poetic presence.

Far from the conventional housing typologies that define its neighborhood, Montpellier House responds to its site with subtle confidence. Its massing steps gently into the land, creating a rhythm of volumes that feel anchored yet weightless like a breath held among the trees

An Interior that Breathes with the Landscape

Inside, the home’s spatial composition revolves around an interior courtyard and a glazed rear façade that dissolves the boundary between architecture and forest. A sunken living room, carved into the slab, becomes a sanctuary of warmth and intimacy its double-height ceiling accentuated by a soft vertical curtain and a terracotta-clad fireplace, a favorite feature of the clients.

Throughout the home, circulation flows like a melody private and public spaces unfolding with quiet intention. Soft curves in the furniture and walls echo natural contours, while subtle material gestures—ceramic, oak, slate-like tiling—layer texture and depth without ever shouting.

The Kitchen as Sculpture and Ritual

At the heart of the residence, the kitchen emerges as a sculptural centerpiece. A veined stone island floats at its center, while an integrated pantry, bench, and concealed appliances create a seamless visual field. Sliding glass doors connect this core to a covered terrace, extending the rituals of cooking and gathering into the open air. It’s a space that is as functional as it is contemplative domestic design elevated to quiet art.

Craft, Collaboration, and Calm

Every surface and detail was the result of close collaboration between the design team and the client, emphasizing thoughtful transitions, balanced volumes, and timeless materiality. From the vertical white oak cladding in the boudoir to the carefully designed master suite upstairs, the home evokes a restrained elegance rooted in everyday life.

Montpellier House is more than a residence. It’s an exploration of how design can shape stillness—how architecture, when placed carefully into the land, can become an extension of landscape, ritual, and retreat.