The benevolent chalets of BESIDE

(Chertsey) Disconnecting in a natural environment an hour from Montreal, with the assurance that the maximum has been done to respect the ecological balance of the place, that is, among other things, what BESIDE Habitat Lanaudière offers. On the eve of the opening of chalet reservations, in September, we took the “owner’s tour” with Jean-Daniel Petit, president and co-founder of BESIDE.

Eve Dumas
Press

First of all a medium that makes the link between nature and culture, BESIDE extends its mission to real estate construction with this first and very ambitious project camped in a formerly virgin forest of Chertsey, in Lanaudière.

In order to be able to align the planned eco-responsible architecture with the desire for privacy of owners and landlords, we had to come to an agreement with the municipality on many points, says Jean-Daniel Petit, while we are preparing to enter the first chalet. If they had followed the town planning rules in place, all the facades should have been facing the street.

“To be bioclimatic, you had to face the sun, not the street. And each of the 75 locations has been designed according to the topography of each lot, which measures between 2 and 6.5 acres, ”Kim Pariseau, architect and founder of the firm that obtained the precious mandate, explained to us a few weeks later. Device Architecture. So far, 12 houses have been built and available for rental. In February, there will be 18.

BESIDE Habitat Lanaudière will include 75 private but rental chalets, 25 autonomous pods, a music studio, two libraries, a common pavilion and a workshop, in addition to a cultural program.

The experience offered by BESIDE Habitat is that of immersion in nature. The dwellings invite the outside to the inside, with their windows that start from the ground and rise to the beginning of the wooden cathedral roof. In the case of models on stilts, we are standing squarely facing the treetops.

Warmth and comfort were the watchwords. “In each chalet, we focused on four experiences: the quality of sleep, with hotel-caliber beds, cocooning, morning coffee and the cooking experience,” explains Jean-Daniel Petit. Escape roaster beans are provided, along with electric grinder and espresso machine. The kitchen was designed by Human Height and equipped with everything one could need to prepare meals like at home.

Thus, in the chalets which have between one and four bedrooms, we go from the friendly square-shaped space, consisting of the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, with fireplace, to the cozy nest that is the bedroom, designed as a place of contemplation, with its large skylight at the end of the bed.

The warm minimalism of the place immediately calls for relaxation and simplicity. Although they give off an impression of grandeur, thanks to their built-in and custom-made furniture, and the height of the cathedral ceiling, the BESIDE chalets occupy very reasonable areas (between 950 and 1250 sq.²).

“In Quebec, we tend to make large chalets, but often of lower quality. Architecture can be accessible if we agree to build smaller. We can then work with local and more sustainable materials, ”says Kim Pariseau, who has applied this principle of quality against quantity to the project.

The stadium

To get to the hiking trails and lakes, we take a car. There is no housing estate near the banks. Here, swimming and other aquatic activities are deserved. From the parking lot, you have to walk in the forest for about 30 minutes to access the first of the two lakes, where you will find canoes and paddleboards. The water is crystal clear and surrounded by trees and rock faces. It’s wild at will.

On the way to the second lake, we come across an intriguing construction. It is the work of architecture students. BESIDE intends to hold an annual residency for these creators of original spaces. And, with regard to the development of the premises, the company has hired a new general manager, who will continue the development of the territory. This is Hugues Fournel, former general manager of Sentiers du Moulin, in Lac-Beauport.

When a thick white carpet has settled on the ground, the many kilometers of trails will welcome snowshoeing and cross-country skiing enthusiasts. The sauna will only get better! Each chalet has one. Here is a nice little Nordic luxury!

“Benevolent” real estate

Before being bought by BESIDE following long negotiations, the territory belonged to a sole owner for 30 years, Jacques Côté. The rustic charm infrastructures he built will remain, like so many traces of the history of the place.

When it came time to sell, the retired notary had the choice between developers who wanted to build hotels, and an unexpected actor… BESIDE. The newcomer to “benevolent” real estate has decided to opt for a transparent business approach and refusal to throw dust in the eyes of sellers. And the promise of a preserved environment seems to be having an effect, if we can trust the many upcoming projects of the Quebec company. Mr. Côté, he let himself be convinced. In Chertsey, 900 acres out of 1,254 will remain intact.

One day, BESIDE would like to set up a foundation that would buy land without developing it at all, for the sole purpose of conserving it. But in the meantime – the millions of dollars not being there – the best thing to do, explains Jean-Daniel Petit, is to win the purchase offers against promoters more interested in big profits only by respecting the environment.

Converting 500 million square feet into nature reserves by 2030 (or 10,000 acres in 10 projects) is BESIDE Habitat’s objective for the coming years.

Rental prices (per night) vary according to the season and the number of rooms. In low season: from $ 175 (1 bedroom), $ 225 (2 bedrooms), $ 260 (3 bedrooms) and $ 300 (4 bedrooms). In high season: starting at $ 260 (1 bedroom), $ 360 (2 bedrooms), $ 420 (3 bedrooms) and $ 480 (4 bedrooms).

Consult the BESIDE Habitat site Consult the Appliance Architecture site Consult the Appliance Workshop site