The Lakeside Cabin in Quebec, Canada, looks like a great place to hang with friends, literally – thanks to a climbing rope in the front room. Besides this fun little addition, it’s well-equipped for entertaining guests and is designed to maintain a comfortable interior temperature, even in the harshest winter conditions.

Lakeside Cabin (aka Chalet Lakeside) was designed by Atelier Schwimmer for two brothers who enjoy an outdoorsy lifestyle. It features an attractive exterior finished in a local larch wood – much of which has been charred using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method to protect and preserve it. Additionally, the exterior has a cantilevering section that juts out to shade the home in summer.

Adrien Williams

The cabin measures 3,200 sq ft (297 sq m), spread over two floors, and has three entrances. The interior decor is a simple mix of concrete and wood, with large windows framing views of the nearby lake. The first floor is centered around a concrete fireplace and triple-height atrium, while elsewhere lies a bathroom, dining room, living room, mud room, and a kitchen. The rope, alas, doesn’t offer a shortcut to the upstairs, but is just intended as a lighthearted addition for climbing up and down.

Stairs lead up to the second floor, which includes four bedrooms, a pair of bathrooms, a laundry room and a family room.

Adrien Williams

Atelier Schwimmer head Felix Schwimmer told us that local temperatures can get as low as – 40 °F (- 40 °C) in winter, so the cabin was fitted with excellent insulation and has a high level of airtightness. This is the same principle as a Passive House and helps the interior maintain a relatively steady temperature without requiring much energy to heat or cool.

Source: Atelier Schwimmer