Bourgeois Lechasseur completes pair of prefabricated glamping cabins in Quebec

Quebec architecture firm Bourgeois Lechasseur has included full-height mirrored walls in these secluded cabins to reflect the surrounding forest.

The pair of rentable Forest Glamp cabins were completed as part of hospitality concept Réflexion, and are located in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François – a popular ski destination roughly an hour outside Quebec City.

Bourgeois Lechasseur Architects built the pair of glamping cabins in Quebec

The project follows Bourgeois Lechasseur's previous work on glamping or short-term rental projects in the region, and the studio sees this a continuation of the same type of work.

"The challenge for the architects was to engage guests in an intimate relationship with nature, rather than dazzle them with the overwhelming views nearby," said Bourgeois Lechasseur. "Key to the design was a focus on creating accommodations that would almost disappear among the trees."

The cabins were constructed using wood that was stained black across the exterior

The black wooden cabins have identical layouts and are placed back-to-back roughly 50 metres apart, ensuring guests' privacy.

Each of the structures contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and an open living and dining area with a fireplace.

Reflective glass stretches across one side of the cabin

In the communal area, a full-height glass wall runs the length of the building, providing unobstructed views of the surrounding forest.

When seen from outside, the reflective glass helps to blend building volumes with the trees.

To prevent confusing and injuring wildlife, the large panels have a coating that is invisible to the human eye, but that birds can see clearly.

In order to reduce construction timelines and improve build quality, each cabin was pre-fabricated offsite in two sections, and assembled together in the field.

The fully glazed wall provides views of the forest from inside

"Two operations had to take place on location: the pouring of the radiant concrete slab, and installation of the long, reflective glass walls," Bourgeois Lechasseur said.

"Meticulous site coordination was required during final assembly."

The interior of the cabins are also lined in wood

The cabins interiors have an airy palette of pale wooden ceilings, light concrete floors, and monochrome furniture.

Bourgeois Lechasseur aimed to create a contrast with the typical "rustic log cabins" that most people still associate with the Canadian wilderness. "Today's travelers seek comfort and poetry," the architects said.

The cabin interiors have a light and airy look

Bourgeois Lechasseur have completed several residences throughout Quebec.

Others include a home on the Magdalene Islands that takes cues from local traditional materials and a lakeside residence with stepped, stadium-style seating outside leading down to the water.

The photography is byMaxime Brouillet unless otherwise indicated.

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Project credits:

Design team: Olivier Bourgeois, Régis Lechasseur, Alexandre Côté, Valérie Gauthier

General contractor: Charlevoix Acoustique

Window markers: FeatherFriendly

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Doug Aitken creates kaleidoscopic catwalk for Saint Laurent show in Venice

American artist Doug Aitken has designed a plant-filled mirrored installation for the Saint Laurent menswear spring summer 2021 fashion show in Venice.

Called Green Lens, the kaleidoscopic catwalk is located on the Venetian island of Certosa.

Green Lens is a mirrored installation by the artist Doug Aitken

Planters full of foliage have been placed between the faceted reflective surfaces of the 10-pronged pavilion.

"The installation is a living artwork," Aitken told Dezeen.

"I wanted to design something that was physically alive," he added. "Much of the work is botanic, it is actually vegetation, almost creating a lush forest-scape."

The decagon is made of Alucobond, a composite panel of two aluminium cover sheets combined with a fire-retardant.

During the show, smoke machines and colour-changing lights turn Green Lens into a shifting backdrop, soundtracked by nature sounds that were recorded on the island.

The installation is filled with vegetation

Green Lens was commissioned by Saint Laurent's creative director Anthony Vaccarello for the fashion house's menswear spring summer 2021 show, which took place in Venice last night.

Guests to the show sat on long white benches as models showcasing the collection walked through the reflective archways.

The installation will remain on Certosa Island until the end of July as an artwork in its own right for the public to experience, which Aitken said was crucial to the work's aim of being inclusive.

A soundscape of nature sounds from the island plays inside the installation

Aitken chose a reflective material for Green Lens to represent the idea of remaining in the present moment while reflecting on what the future might hold.

"I was working on this project for almost the entire of Covid," he said.

"I think that one of the things the pandemic did to us as a society was to really force us to look at the present, or the future, where we're going from here, and to question ourselves as individuals and as a society," he continued.

"I became very interested in the idea of an artwork really being a space for the present. A space for ideas for reflections, not looking at existing narratives but instead looking within oneself."

The work was designed for a Saint Laurent menswear show

According to Aitken, Green Lens aims to ground visitors in the present moment and encourage them to engage with the physical object in front of them.

"I wanted to create an artwork that could be a tool to activate our perception," said the artist.

Green Lens as seen from the water

Saint Laurent said that carbon emissions related to the project will be offset through reforestation programmes dedicated to the island.

After the work is dismantled, the plants will be donated to the island, while the fashion house has also pledged to restructure damaged cloister ruins on Certosa.

"It was this little destroyed forgotten island," said Aitken.

"We wanted to create something there that would bring life back to it."

Green Lens is located on the island of Certosa in Venice

Doug Aitken is an American artist who works across a range of mediums. Other projects by Aitken that feature reflective materials include a mirrored building in the Swiss Alps that reflects a shifting display of scenery and sky.

Saint Laurent is an Italian fashion house founded in 1961 by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé. A museum dedicated to the designer in Marrakech was created by Studio KO.

The imagery is courtesy of Saint Laurent.

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