MONTREAL – Not surprisingly, wood is the dominate material used in “Forest House” designed by Natalie Dionne Architecture for a professional couple that wanted, to build a home in the heart of nature.

Indeed, the 215-square-meter (2,300-square-foot) residence sits on 3 acres surrounded by mature hemlock and deciduous trees in the Eastern Townships, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Montreal. Plentiful wood both inside and out allows Forest House to become one with its environment.

The many wood highlights of Forest House include:

• The façades are clad in eastern white cedar planks. The planks were pretreated with a product to accelerate the greying process to blend into the landscape and minimize future maintenance.
• The exposed roof structure is made of engineered wood produced from Northern Quebec black spruce.
• Solid maple is featured for the kitchen islands, vanities, stairs, and the catwalk.
• Russian plywood is used throughout for Forest House for built-in cabinetry. He architects chose the bright wood palette to contrast with the dark forest surrounding the house.