Lebel and Bouliane’s Trade Secrets
The husband-and-wife architectural firm finds inspiration in sunlight, geodes and rock formations
Luc Bouliane and Natasha Lebel are a one-stop architecture shop: their portfolio includes libraries, ad agencies and cultural spaces, along with modest (and not so modest) homes. They’re known for their sculptural interiors, which are often influenced by the couple’s obsession with geology. The formation of geodes, for example, inspired their much-lauded Relmar House: the clever, ultra-modernist semi maximizes natural light by pulling rays in through an angled skylight, and then bouncing the beams off a reflective limestone wall. The house’s stone- and brick-clad exterior and airy interior complete the geode illusion. Other rocky formations, like shale and drumlins, often help shape the geometry of their projects and how their designs relate to the landscape.
Their Current Obsessions
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Apologies to Natasha Lebel, whose name was misspelled in an earlier version.
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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.