The best modern holiday homes in the Eastern Townships
With holiday plans severely limited, these are the best modern holiday homes in the Eastern Townships to give us something to look forward to. These five architect-designed spaces are the current source of our post-lockdown holiday daydreams, with thoughts of hiking up Mont Glen, soaking in a bath or maybe just staring out across the landscape next to a roaring fire all playing on heavy rotation. 
The Eastern Townships landscape is the perfect antidote to modern life, a chance to slow down, or stop altogether, to observe, breathe and relax. I’ve found that the most memorable holidays are often defined by the quality of where you stay, which in this landscape means a well-designed holiday cottage that brings you closer to nature while providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Here are six of the most inspiring and unusual properties for a stay in the Eastern Townships.
The Maison Vista is the first eco-house in Canada to have been designed according to this certification (within the Leed for Homes USA pilot project, in 2006).

Vista contemporary eco-design features solar passive (windows facing south) allowing the home to be naturally bright and to heat itself (the heating system is not used on cold and sunny winter days) . Central air heating and a low emission mass combustion fireplace that heats the home by slow radiation, lime walls insulated with straw (which is thermal and acoustic insulation, but breathable), floors and counters in polished concrete, ceilings and surfaces in recycled or renewable wood.

A secret hideaway that blends effortlessly into the dramatic backdrop of mont Glen, just 25 kilometers from Owls Head ski hill, 8 minutes from Lac Brome beach, 8 minutes from all amenities in Knowlton and close to Eastman, Sutton and the Bromont mountains, allowing you to enjoy all the attractions of the region (skiing, trails, mountain biking, cycle paths, skate park and water park). Enormous windows flood Maison Vista with natural light and reveal the landscape in its ever-changing splendour. 

Whether you’re absorbing the panorama from the comfort of the cosy interior in winter or in summer, it’s difficult to imagine a more reclusive yet inspiring haven on the doorstep of one of the world’s great capital cities.
Perched on a mountainside in the Eastern Townships, the Crowhill chalet concept is based on its timelessness and minimalism. Through its angular shape, the project aims above all to emphasize the beauty of the landscape in which it takes place.

You might recognise this award-winning eco-home from the numerous architectural publications it’s been featured in.  On chemin Cowhill – La binocle  – perched on a mountainside in the Eastern Townships, the  chalet concept is based on its timelessness and minimalism, constructed from sustainable, locally sourced materials to reflect the natural beauty of the landscape in which it takes place, something which is further embraced by the large landscape-framing windows. 
 
The simple open-plan living space is two inter-connected forms, a stay in La binocle is likely to strengthen your affinity with the natural world.
There’s no better way to escape the stresses and strains of modern life than immersing yourself in the slow travel experience, and Les Voisines is custom-made for a leisurely exploration of the Quebcc's Eastern Townships. Situated on the scenic lake Gilbert, les Voisines is isolated enough to absorb the mesmerising landscapes free from the summer crowds yet easily accessible by car. Fusing modern design and Scandinavian architecture, Les Voisines’s glass walls bring the untamed outdoors within, with views of Lake Gilbert, while a walk around the lake, outdoor decking are the little extras that make relaxing even easier.
This stealthy hideout cuts an angular profile into the dramatic landscape of Bolton Est in the Eastern Townships – a markedly modern addition to this ancient setting. It was conceived as a minimalist space in which little distracts from the main event (the views) and, as such, a simple palette of oak and concrete comes together with low-key Scandi furniture to restful effect. Put the wood-burning stove on, make a coffee, take a seat at the pool deck: this is the Quebec's Eastern Townships at its best.
Wood duck