Magdalen House Redefines Modern Island Architecture
1 day ago
4 min read
A small house rests on a windswept plateau above the dunes of Havre-Aubert Island, blending into the landscape as if it has always belonged there. Below, the Atlantic meets a wide sandy beach, and beyond that, the dunes of the Magdalen Islands reach toward the horizon. This remote part of Quebec is shaped by wind, salt, and erosion, so any new building must be designed with care.
Magdalen House. Photography by Alex Lesage
This careful approach is what sets Magdalen House apart. As architects search for responsible ways to build on fragile coastlines, this modest home offers a clear solution: rely on local building traditions. It is not about looking back with nostalgia, but about using methods that have supported people here for generations.
Before making design choices, the architects studied the site's vulnerable areas. The property crosses several sensitive zones: the ocean, the beach, protected dunes, a natural bluff, and finally, the plateau where people live, set back from the shore. Each area is important for the local ecology and can be easily harmed by careless construction.
Rather than building into these sensitive areas, the house is set back. It stands on the most stable part of the plateau, with part of the building and the large terrace raised on timber piles instead of concrete. This approach protects nearby plants while still giving the house a clear view of the dunes, beach, and sea. The design has a gentle impact: less digging, less concrete, and less disturbance to soil that has taken centuries to settle. Foxes still move through the nearby grasses, and birds keep nesting along the bluff, mostly undisturbed by their new neighbour.
The shape of the house is not new; it is an adaptation. The architects took inspiration from the Magdalen house, a style developed on these islands in the late nineteenth century as a local version of the Acadian house. With a simple gable roof, a compact one-and-a-half-storey size, and materials strong enough to handle wind and salt, this design was created out of necessity long before anyone talked about "climate-resilient design."
Magdalen House follows this approach but updates it with a modern, minimalist style. The shape is familiar to anyone who has travelled the islands' coastal roads, but the details are modern. It is not a copy but a continuation, showing that building traditions can change while still retaining their strengths.
Magdalen House. Photography by Alex Lesage
Magdalen House. Photography by Alex Lesage
The choice of materials adds to the story. Cedar shingles cover the roof and walls and are left to weather naturally into a soft, silvery grey, helping the house blend into the landscape over time. The terrace and pile structure use eastern hemlock, which is strong in a maritime climate, and stainless-steel mesh guardrails that resist salt air and require little maintenance. Inside, pine floors and panelling are paired with North American stone. The work is local: light fixtures from a Quebec maker, millwork by a woodworker on Cap-aux-Meules Island, and all the art and ceramics come from artists in the Magdalen Islands.
Inside, the layout is simple. The compact, efficient floor plan centers on a core that holds the kitchen, utility spaces, a bathroom, and a staircase to the mezzanine. This keeps the rest of the house open and spacious. The living areas face west toward the sunset and ocean, while the bedrooms receive gentle morning light.
A double-height living area makes the house feel open without increasing its size, and large windows bring in views of the dunes and horizon. The house feels larger than it is because every space is used well, not just made to appear big.
Magdalen House. Photography by Alex Lesage
Magdalen House. Photography by Alex Lesage
This restraint was both practical and aesthetic. On the island, every material and worker must be brought in, so cost and logistics influenced decisions as much as design ideas. By working closely with local contractors and craftspeople, the architects found solutions that fit island life. This shows that limits, when managed well, can make a design stronger instead of weaker.
Magdalen House does not try to keep tradition unchanged. Instead, it treats local building styles as living things that can adapt and grow while keeping their unique character. In such a fragile landscape, the project suggests that real sustainability is not just about numbers or energy use, but about whether a building can be cared for, loved, and passed on to future generations.
This is the quiet legacy of Magdalen House: a home shaped by wind and memory, built not to stand out in its dramatic setting but to fit in, year after year and for generations to come.
Atelier L'Abri is an architecture office based in Montreal. The young team is the 2025 Emerging Architecture Prize winner from the Quebec Order of Architects, as well as the 2024 awards for Small Firm of the Year at the Architecture Master Prize and Best Young Firm at the A+Awards.
The workshop specializes in ecological, healthy, and sustainable construction. It advocates innovative architectural solutions, emphasizing wellness and the human and social character of our environments. L’Abri's designs are timeless, uniquely crafted, and at the human scale.
The workshop firmly believes that responsible architecture that respects its context and environment can help improve our environment and our quality of life. The office’s approach advocates efficiency, sustainability, and local sourcing, with a mission to build long-lasting projects that create value and have a positive environmental, social, and economic impact.
