APPAREIL Architecture is a multidisciplinary firm based in Montreal, working in the fields of architecture, interior design and furniture design. Its mission is to design quality residential and commercial environments that are tailored and unique to their occupants. Its sleek, contemporary signature, largely inspired by its Nordic roots, reflects a constant desire to strike a balance between tradition and modernity.
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve its sustainable development practices, the company has obtained ECO-RESPONSIBLE certification from Ecocert. It also participates in several mentoring programs, such as Women4Climate, underlining its commitment to innovation and social responsibility.
APPAREIL Architecture’s work has been recognized and rewarded on several occasions. Among notable distinctions, the firm received the Relève en Architecture 2020 award from the Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) and the People’s Choice award at the AZ AWARDS 2020 for its Le Dernier Petit Cochon installation. In 2019, she was a two-time winner of the Grands Prix du Design for the Pastel Rita café and the Floe chair. In 2017, she also won Canadian Interiors’ Best of Canada award for the Hoogan & Beaufort restaurant.
Among its recent projects, APPAREIL Architecture designed Binôme, a five-unit residential building in Montreal, illustrating a contemporary and sensitive approach to urban densification. Another notable project is Résidence Les Sillages, a renovation of a shoebox house in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie district, where a second floor was added while respecting the building’s architectural identity.
Born in the midst of a pandemic, the Micro-cabin is much more than a simple micro-dwelling: it’s an elegant, thoughtful and ecological response to a lifestyle in search of meaning. Designed in collaboration with APPAREIL architecture and Atelier architecture, this minimalist dwelling combines intelligent design, respect for nature and accessibility.
Designed from the outset to minimize its ecological footprint, the Micro-cabin relies on innovative prefabrication strategies and careful consideration of scale. It offers a realistic, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing alternative to the traditional second home.
At the heart of this project is a clear ambition: to do more with less.
During the pause imposed by the 2020 pandemic, the Appareil teams rethought the way we build and live. How can we build with more respect, more intention, and in harmony with our natural environment?
The result? A streamlined, warm and functional micro-dwelling, designed with a controlled budget and a clear-eyed view of environmental issues. The Micro-cabin embodies this quest: to create accessible living spaces, without compromising on quality or design.
Each Micro-cabin is composed of three prefabricated modules, designed as objects to be delicately placed in nature. Mounted on piles, its foundation minimizes impact on the ground, preserving the forest and biodiversity of the site.
The structure, conceived within the constraints of road transport (12′ x 20′ x 11′), oriented the volumetry to offer a refined design that never betrays its prefabricated origin. On the contrary, it celebrates the idea that efficiency, beauty and durability can go hand in hand.
This project raises an essential question:
Is a family chalet still affordable?
With Micro-cabin, the answer is yes. Thanks to optimized design, modular or site-built construction, and a commitment to reducing costs without sacrificing quality, this model becomes a gateway to a simpler way of life, more connected to nature.
Micro-Cabin, is a new way of thinking about second homes. Minimalist, ecological, well thought-out – this micro-dwelling pushes the limits of comfort in a compact, thoughtful format.
Designed to blend harmoniously with nature, Micro-Cabin is a modular, prefabricated, eco-responsible home for lovers of design and the forest.
The result of a process of reflection launched during the pandemic, this architectural project was born of a simple observation: to build for the future, we need to build differently.
Less impact, more intelligence. Less artifice, more meaning.
Micro-Cabin combines :
Every aspect of Micro-Cabin is designed to :
Micro-Cabin is not a mass-produced product.
It’s a sensitive architectural object, designed to adapt to your terrain, your values, and your lifestyle. A compact chalet, yet grand in its intent. A place to recharge, to share, to slow down.
In exclusive partnership with APPAREIL Architecture and Atelier Architecture, I’ll help you acquire, customize and install your Micro-Cabin.
👉 Do you have or are you looking for a plot of land? An eco-tourism project? Or simply want to live differently?
Contact me for a complete presentation of your project, plans, options and prices.
The first successful implementation of the Micro-Cabin was at the Méandre ecotourism development, located on the banks of the Croche River in La Tuque. This exceptional site, surrounded by nature, offered an ideal testing ground for the concept’s relevance in a remote region.
Thanks to factory prefabrication, delivery was carried out efficiently by truck, minimizing logistical constraints and the need for local manpower. The model was able to meet the challenges posed by remoteness and climate, while maintaining a high level of finish and architectural quality.
This pilot project has demonstrated that the Micro-Cabin is an ideal solution for ecotourism sites, environmentally-conscious customers, and developers wishing to develop sustainable, modular and rapidly implementable projects, without compromising on comfort or aesthetics.
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