Camp Mercier, Reserve faunique des Laurentides, Quebec building images, Canadian architecture photos

Camp Mercier in Reserve faunique des Laurentides, Quebec

March 12, 2025

Architects: Anne Carrier architecture

Location: Réserve faunique des Laurentides, Quebec, Canada

photo © Maxime Brouillet
Photos: Maxime Brouillet and Adrien Williams

Camp Mercier, Canada

Camp Mercier
For more than 50 years, and throughout all seasons, Camp Mercier has been a vibrant meeting place, renowned as one of the most important cross-country skiing centers in the Province of Quebec. Located 783 meters above sea level, and just 45 minutes from Quebec City, it welcomes outdoor enthusiasts, researchers, and students who come to observe the wildlife.

photo © Adrien Williams

In 2018, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) commissioned a study of the existing reception pavilion. The report concluded that the building had reached the end of its useful life. Subsequently, Anne Carrier architecture was commissioned to design a new pavilion that would be functional, durable, and accessible, replacing the old forest camp currently used as the reception.

photo © Adrien Williams

Architecture in harmony with nature
The design of the pavilion evokes the old logging camps, with its wooden structure, simple volume, and low-slope roof. The lines of the dark spruce cladding, installed vertically, recall the grain of cut timber. The subtle play of fullness and voids from the openings in the wooden envelope of the building creates dynamic shadows, which shift throughout the day in response to the sun’s path.

photo © Adrien Williams

Large openings are strategically placed to frame views of the landscape and the outdoors, to maximize sunlight, and to synergize activities inside and outside. The contrast between the dark cladding and the lighter openings reinforces the pavilion’s architectural expression, drawing inspiration from the contrasts between a tree’s bark and its core. Combining modernity and tradition, the approach reflects the architectural culture of Quebec, in harmony with nature, adapted to seasonal changes, and inspired by our ancestors.

photo © Adrien Williams

Optimizing the use of wood
Wood, a noble and versatile material, is used for the structure, exterior cladding, interior walls, and furniture. The different spatial needs demanded different types of wood construction systems: a post-and-beam system allows for large spans in highly glazed areas, while semi-outdoor spaces, such as the wood storage, have an openwork cladding system that ensures natural ventilation. In more enclosed spaces, a lightweight wooden frame system is clad with locally sourced wood siding.

photo © Adrien Williams

A dark stain was selected for exposed wood surfaces for durability, while a light stain was applied to the covered wood surfaces, highlighting the entrance and guiding visitors. A wood-paneled ceiling envelops the contemplation areas in warmth, while accompanying visitors on a seamless journey through the site’s activities and landscape.

photo © Adrien Williams

This masterful use of wood earned the project the Cecobois 2025 Award of Excellence in the “Institutional Building” category. The jury described it as “a remarkable work that draws on a holistic approach. From its integration into the landscape to the construction details, wood is omnipresent, with each part finding its place in a highly cohesive whole. Engineered wood and light-frame structural systems work together with skill and relevance. The result is a beautifully harmonious project with clear lines, finely crafted both in its relationship with the site and in its interior ambience”.

photo © Adrien Williams

A new pavilion for today’s needs, and rooted in its context
The surrounding landscape flows seamlessly into the pavilion, with vegetated embankments that allow for sliding during the winter, and a natural amphitheater with relaxation areas and outdoor fire pits. Special attention was given to the needs of ski enthusiasts, who are the primary users of the site. As a result, the new pavilion was built closer to the ski paths and oriented to offer better protection from the prevailing winds while maximizing sunlight exposure.

photo © Adrien Williams

The building’s single-story layout easily allows universal accessibility, while minimizing noise pollution from the nearby road. The pavilion is integrated to the Laurentian Mountain landscape, and its efficient organization of living spaces and services in three wings with a central core optimizes circulation and operational fluidity, while offering a renewed experience to visitors throughout the year.

photo © Adrien Williams

The new Camp Mercier embodies a vision that combines tradition and modernity, reflected through its new functions while remaining in harmony with nature and the site’s history. Through its understated, yet distinctive architectural expression, the new multidisciplinary pavilion is part of a sustainable and long-term vision for this iconic site. More than just a reception center, it has become a hub for new encounters and experiences, with the comfort of users and the harmony of nature at the core of its design.

photo © Maxime Brouillet

Awards and honors
Cecobois 2025 Award of Excellence : Institutional Building

photo © Maxime Brouillet

Camp Mercier in Reserve faunique des Laurentides, Canada – Building Information

Architect: Anne Carrier architecture – https://sidleearchitecture.com/en/

Project: Camp Mercier
Location: Réserve faunique des Laurentides, QC, Canada
Architects: Anne Carrier architecture (AC/a)
Design team: Anne Carrier, architect; Robert Boily, B. arch. / B. Sc.a.; Mathieu St-Amant, architect; Patricia Pronovost, architect; Martin L’Hébreux, architect; Brenda Côté, technologist; Jean-Philippe Bélanger, technologist, B. Arch; Thomas Valcourt, architect
Landscape architect: Rousseau Lefebvre
Engineers: WSP (structural) et LGT (mechanical)
General contractor: Les Constructions Béland et Lapointe inc.
Building area: 990 sqm
Photographer: Maxime Brouillet (winter) et Adrien Williams (summer)

photo © Adrien Williams

About Anne Carrier architecture (AC/a)
Established in 1992, Anne Carrier architecture enriches Quebec’s architectural landscape through the construction of many audacious and refined projects, leaving a lasting mark for generations to come. Since its founding, the firm has achieved the highest standards of excellence for each of its clients through its creativity and leadership, across all sectors, including institutional, cultural, commercial, and residential.

For over 30 years, Anne Carrier architecture has won numerous architectural competitions and has received various excellence awards, including the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. These recognitions highlight the quality, durability, and sensitivity of the firm’s projects.

photo © Maxime Brouillet

Photographers: Maxime Brouillet and Adrien Williams

Camp Mercier, Reserve faunique des Laurentides, Quebec images / information received 120325 from v2com newswire

Location: Laval, Québec, Canada, North America

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