Lucy Riddell and Katherine Nikidis weren’t in the market for land. But on a visit to see Lucy’s mother in the Quebec countryside, the two went on a just-for-fun look-see—and not only succumbed to a secluded property but almost instantly had a vision for it. Now that their two kids were in their twenties, they wanted to create a modernist family gathering place composed of mine, yours, and ours structures, a space for mediation included.
“Both of us have strong ideas about design,” says Lucy, who has her own clothing line, Five Faces; Kathy is the head of a girls’ school in Montreal, where they live, and the two were in the fortunate position of being able to pull-off their pipe dream. And so they made sketches and began to approach architects. They hadn’t gotten beyond the second candidate when they took the first by surprise and signed him on. François Abbott, a talented friend of their 26-year-old son’s, had just graduated from the Dalhousie School of Architecture in Halifax when Lucy and Kathy came calling. “François was completely aligned with our thinking and understood what we wanted,”says Lucy.
Since this was his first commission, Abbott, in turn, asked Montreal firm Pelletier de Fontenay, where he had previously interned, to collaborate with him: “At the time, I had never built on my own,” he told us. ” I already had a relationship with Pelletier de Fontenay, so we agreed to split the project 50-50. I would do the bulk of the work in terms of hours spent, and they could keep doing their other projects and also apply their experience to this one. It was a win-win.” Can three-plus heads be better than one? All of the parties in this case think so. Come see.
Photography by James Brittain, courtesy of Pelletier de Fontenay and François Abbott.
![the house rises from a plateau in the eastern townships hamlet of hatley, an ho 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-exterior-2-733x1101.jpg)
![the three structures—each identically shaped but varying in size and ori 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-exterior-1-733x489.jpg)
The house is surrounded by 25 acres of rolling farmland—Lucy’s sister-in-law grazes her cows here (“they’re our lawn mowers”). The existing farmhouse on the property, long vacant, was so mold-damaged that it couldn’t be salvaged; the local fire department used it as a control-burn training opportunity, and a falling-down cow barn was salvaged for wood.
![together the three structures \2\20;form an uncommon yet coherent ensemb 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-exterior-3-733x1100.jpg)
The wrap-around timber latticing unifies the volumes as does the standing-seam metal used on the roofs. We wanted zinc but it was too expensive, so we went with galvanized steel,” says Lucy. “It was a budgetary choice between zinc and the wood cladding, and we chose the cladding.”
“We needed thick walls so that the edge of the roof at the outside was at exactly the same height as the edge of the corresponding ceiling inside,” adds Abbott. “So why not use extra insulation? The walls are two 2-by-6 constructions thick, both insulated. So we have about two times the standard insulation.”
![the interior is composed of minimalist double height spaces with polished concr 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-kitchen-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-4-733x1100.jpg)
![the kitchen cabinets were custom built and finished with red oak veneer lacquer 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-kitchen-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-5-733x1077.jpg)
![the large square windows, supplied by reynaers, frame expansive views of a vall 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-kitchen-dining-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-6-733x489.jpg)
![the house has subfloor heating (and a heat recovery ventilator (hrv) that captu 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-living-area-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-7-733x527.jpg)
![a single step down leads to the kids\2\17;/guest wing where a wide passa 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-library-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-8-733x1089.jpg)
![\2\20;the most exciting aspect for us is how the house comes together as 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-library-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-9-733x489.jpg)
![the master wing has a bathroom with a \19.6 foot tall ceiling and a long washst 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-master-bath-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-10-733x1100.jpg)
![positioned in front of the bath, the intimately scaled master bedroom has an ou 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-master-bedroom-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-11-733x494.jpg)
![narrow stairs behind the master bed lead to the birch plywood lined meditation 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-yoga-meditation-space-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-12-733x489.jpg)
![back in the kids\2\17;/guest wing, steep birch ply stairs lead to a seco 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-steep-stair-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-13-733x1107.jpg)
![patterned by plywood squares, the room is used as a work and play space. there 30](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-office-play-area-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-14-733x1099.jpg)
![the high pitched gables are the first thing that\2\17;s visible from the 31](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-quebec-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-15-733x484.jpg)
![hatley house floor plan pelletier de fontenay and francois abbott design](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hatley-house-floor-plan-pelletier-de-fontenay-and-francois-abbott-design-733x550.jpg)
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the contemporary vacation house in Quebec?
The contemporary vacation house in Quebec was created by architects Francois Abbott and Pelletier de Fontenay.
Where is the contemporary vacation house located?
The contemporary vacation house is located in Quebec.
What style is the vacation house designed in?
The vacation house is designed in a contemporary style.
What materials were used in the construction of the vacation house?
The vacation house was constructed using wood, concrete, and glass.
What is the layout of the vacation house?
The vacation house is designed with an open floor plan and features large windows to take advantage of the scenic views.
How many bedrooms are in the vacation house?
The number of bedrooms in the vacation house is not specified in the article.
What is the target market for this vacation house?
The target market for this vacation house is not specified in the article.
Is the vacation house available for rental?
The availability of the vacation house for rentals is not specified in the article.
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