Magdalen House establishes a thoughtful relationship with the coastline and vernacular architecture of the Magdalen Islands in Quebec. The small building rests on a natural plateau on Havre-Aubert Island. Overlooking the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean, it settles into the landscape with restraint and in dialogue with its surroundings.

Atelier L’Abri’s architectural approach is rooted in a reading of Magdalen vernacular architecture as a body of building principles and time-tested craftsmanship shaped by the climate, geography, and island way of life. This understanding serves as the project’s conceptual foundation, guiding a contemporary architecture that is both durable and responsive to its setting.

The quality of light, relationship with the living world, and richness of the lived experience are central to Magdalen House, creating the conditions for a lasting attachment to place.

A fragile territory

The site lies within a coastal landscape characterised by a succession of sensitive environments: the Atlantic Ocean, a wide sandy beach, protected dunes, a natural bluff, and, set back from the shore, an inhabited plateau. These environments play a fundamental role in the archipelago’s biodiversity, coastal stability, groundwater protection, and ecological balance, within a landscape shaped by erosion and the dynamics of prevailing winds and waves.

The dune ecosystem depends on a fragile balance between vegetation, the natural movement of windblown sand, and the seasonal dynamics of the coastline, making it particularly vulnerable to human intervention. Its preservation relies on maintaining these natural processes, which can easily be disrupted by development and human presence.

Siting with restraint

In response to this fragile balance, the house is situated on an existing inhabited plateau, set back from the protected dune environments, which were carefully surveyed and delineated during the preliminary design phase. Constraints relating to soil bearing capacity, coastal erosion, and the maritime climate strongly informed the building’s siting and structural design.

Positioned along the edge of the plateau to take advantage of the most stable ground, part of the house and its large terrace are supported on timber piles. This strategy preserves the sensitive environments in their entirety, limits excavation, reduces the amount of concrete required, and minimises disturbance to the existing soil and vegetation, while maintaining direct visual connections with the dunes, beach, and Atlantic Ocean.

The project thereby establishes a close relationship between architecture and the local ecosystem without intruding on it, encouraging a respectful engagement with the flora and fauna, including the many bird species and foxes that inhabit the site.

A living vernacular

The architectural concept draws on the Magdalen vernacular as a familiar and enduring architectural language capable of evolving over time. The study of local building typologies, simple forms, gable roofs, and traditional construction details informs a building that is both discreet and recognisable.

The Magdalen house emerged in the islands between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a local adaptation of traditional Acadian domestic architecture. It is characterised by a simple gabled form, a one-and-a-half-storey layout, a compact floor plan, materials resistant to wind and salt air, and a cedar shingle roof suited to an exposed maritime climate.

Together, these elements form a coherent architectural language shaped by the climatic, material, and logistical constraints of island life. The building type reflects a lasting balance between cultural heritage, environmental conditions, and the pursuit of comfort, becoming a defining feature of the Magdalen built landscape.

Materials and local craft

Magdalen House continues this tradition without reproducing it literally, maintaining continuity with local building practices while adopting a contemporary, minimalist expression of form and detail.

Materiality extends this approach. Cedar shingles clad both the roof and exterior walls, weathering naturally to a silvery grey over time. The exposed structure of the terrace and timber piles is built from eastern hemlock, a species suited to the maritime climate, while the guardrails are made from marine-grade stainless steel mesh selected for its resistance to salt air.

Inside, natural materials predominate. Pine flooring and wall panelling, together with North American natural stone surfaces, continue the dialogue with the surrounding landscape. Light fixtures are sourced from a Quebec manufacturer, while the custom millwork is crafted by a woodworker based on Cap-aux-Meules Island. The artwork and ceramics selected by the clients were created by artists and artisans from the Magdalen Islands.

Simplicity of means

The house is organised around essential functions. A compact, legible floor plan optimises space while providing generous living areas. These face west towards the landscape and setting sun, while the bedrooms benefit from morning light.

At the heart of the plan, a central service core brings together the kitchen, utility spaces, bathroom, and staircase leading to the mezzanine level. The double-height living space enhances the sense of volume without increasing the building’s footprint, while large openings extend the experience of the landscape.

This simplicity of means also responds to an island context in which cost and logistics require careful decisions. Developed in collaboration with contractors and craftspeople from the Magdalen Islands, the project favours construction solutions adapted to local conditions and expertise.

Building with the territory

Magdalen House proposes an architecture shaped by the landscape, climate, and culture of the Magdalen Islands. Rather than preserving the vernacular as a fixed tradition, it treats it as a living architectural language capable of adapting over time.

Within this particularly sensitive context, the project suggests that sustainability depends not only on building performance, but also on the capacity of architecture to endure within its environment through continued use, maintenance, and stewardship across generations.