Project: Vingt House
Architects: Bourgeois Lechasseur Architects
Location: Lac-Beauport, Quebec, Canada
Year 2017
Photography: Adrien Williams
Text by Bourgeois Lechasseur
The Vingt House is anchored on a sloping site next to the ski resort Le Relais. The upper ground offers a magnificent view of the Laurentian hills and Lac-Beauport’s residential area. The project builds on the existing foundations of the client’s home in order to retain some acquired rights. The owners know the site’s qualities very well for having lived there many years.
The Vingt House is inspired by the site and its accentuated relief. Level 1 acts as a base; it leans against the ground and opens up completely to the north. The upper floor seems to float above the concrete ground floor. The living areas are cantilevered to create unique painting-like views. The maximized fenestration offers an unobstructed view of the mountain landscape. The roof overhangs stretch over the exterior decks.
The access road below ensures the privacy of living spaces despite the generous fenestration. As we approach the house, we discover the richness of the white cedar ceiling covering the upper floor. This warm material expands beneath the roofs to emphasize the continuity between the interior and exterior. Volumes and materials unite to create a distinctive entrance.
The sloped roof integrates the project into its built environment in a respectful way. The geometry of the volume and the choice of window positions create surprising atmospheres that change according to interior functions. The dining room’s zenithal skylight offers an elegant view of the treetops and allows indirect light to play on the cedar laths. The central concrete wall gives the project verticality. Its rough finish shows the marks left by the formwork. The staircase next to it reveals its richness through the duality of the authentic materials surrounding it, namely concrete and steel.
This home creates a strong presence in the panorama. The interaction between volumes and the main façade’s horizontality is reminiscent of some California villas.
