alain carle architecte combines three wooden volumes into ‘koya’ house in canada

alain carle architecte has combined three wooden volumes into ‘koya’ house, a multigenerational home in the canadian town of saint-sauveur. the project is developed to accommodate spaces for the three generations inhabiting the complex while establishing an open, non-hierarchical relationship with the surrounding landscape. the use of concrete distinguishes the more permanent elements of the residence, such as retaining walls, landings, and transitional stairways, while the more ephemeral components are built in wood.all images by raphaël thibodeau

alain carle architecte developed ‘koya’ house with an interest in changing the nature of the program, the family composition, and the residents’ location in the spaces that are bound to change over time within the complex. the temporal relationship established by the multigenerational nature of the project led to the creation of three separate volumes that converge in a central space, which metaphorically becomes the meeting place for the three generations.

‘in a certain way, the essence of the project resides in the relationship between the necessity of creating a temporality for every built structure, of inscribing the concept of space in time, or at least in anticipation of time,’ notes the canadian architecture studio.

the concrete elements of the construction define a new topography, upon which the three wooden structures are then deposited. they are cantilevered on the concrete structures, in an unstable situation, and point respectively in opposite directions. thus, this complex is detached from a conventional composition of the suburban single-family home, which often has a very distinct expression between the front and rear façades, to the detriment of the sides. in contrast, the project seeks to establish a more open relationship with the site through a series of sawtooth patterns, small outdoor subspaces, and multiple accesses without a specific hierarchy.

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project info:

name: koya house

architect: alain carle architecte

location: saint-sauveur, québec, canada

area: 696 m2 / 7 500 ft2

lead architect: alain carle

project manager: isaniel lévesque

landscape design: carlos ipser

contractor: self build