Project Name: BLOK House

Location: Quebec City, Canada

Design Team: Quinzhee Architecture

Total Floor Area: 59 m²

Completion: 2024

Photography: Adrien Williams

Feature:

Project - Quinzhee Architecture has created BLOK House at the top of Mount Le Maelstrom in Lac-Beauport, Quebec, as an ideal retreat tailored specifically for climbing enthusiasts. This 59-square-meter structure, located at the summit of a natural climbing wall, provides the perfect refuge for climbers.

The design team has crafted a monolithic volume with angular edges through asymmetrical forms and gray stucco materiality, cleverly evoking the form of a climbing block. Irregularly arranged openings on the façade resemble climbing holds, creating a surface that guides the gaze and ascent like a climbing route. Within this square plan, heated indoor spaces coexist with sheltered outdoor areas, both increasing the living space and providing an immersive experience in nature.

Entering through the truncated corner of the volume, visitors first discover the protected outdoor spaces, sheltered from harsh weather and prying eyes. On the ground level, climbing walls allow climbers to practice their sport, while a spa invites relaxation between training sessions. The upper-level terrace provides a convivial space for cooking and sharing meals while contemplating the surrounding natural landscape.

The heated spaces of BLOK House also extend across multiple levels. At ground level, bedrooms enjoy the calm and intimacy of the surrounding forest. The upper-level living spaces benefit from abundant light and unobstructed landscape views. A spacious mezzanine above the kitchen accommodates additional guests. All spaces are clad in wood, creating a harmonious visual continuity between interior and exterior living areas, while contrasting with the raw, mineral character of the building's envelope.

BLOK House is not merely a shelter but a celebration of climbing culture expressed through architectural form. This building functions simultaneously as destination, refuge, and sculptural intervention in the landscape, demonstrating Quinzhee Architecture's ability to perfectly blend functional requirements with poetic design inspiration.

Design Team - Founded in 2013 by architect Guillaume Fafard, Quinzhee Architecture is a firm embodying the characteristics of its namesake snow shelter: playful, ecological, and Nordic in style. Currently led by Fafard alongside senior architect Catherine Parent, the practice has developed a distinctive design approach that seamlessly integrates client participation into the design process.

The firm's methodology places communication and idea-sharing at the forefront, considering these elements essential foundations for innovative, high-quality architectural solutions. By engaging all stakeholders in deliberations about building occupation and environmental context, the practice effectively evaluates the full spectrum of possibilities before identifying optimal design strategies.

Quinzhee's portfolio demonstrates remarkable versatility, spanning multiple scales from residential and commercial architecture to urban planning, furniture design, and even ski fabrication. This deliberate cross-disciplinary approach fuels their creative vision and distinguishes their practice within the architectural landscape.

With multiple team members holding Passive House Designer certifications, demonstrating the firm's commitment to sustainability, Quinzhee approaches each commission with environmental consciousness and technical precision. The practice values creative experimentation while maintaining pragmatic solutions that respond to client objectives.

Though headquartered in Limoilou, Quebec, Quinzhee's operational reach extends well beyond the metropolitan area, embracing projects across diverse contexts. Their only prerequisite for taking on new challenges remains consistent: the opportunity to conceptualize projects through an alternative lens that challenges conventional architectural thinking.