The owner’s tour | From Fredericton to Val-d’Or via Montreal

Owners open the doors of their exceptional homes to us, offered on the resale market.

Perhaps the outlines of this unique abode vaguely remind you of something. If so, then you certainly set foot at the Montreal Home Show in 2012.

In the heart of the Palais des congrès, this vast property of 5,556 sq. ft.^⁠2 (516 m^⁠2) was mounted and exhibited to the public as the highlight of the event. Its name: Maison Éridan. Its designers wanted to impress people. But his story doesn’t end there.

Once the Show was over, it was disassembled and then reassembled on the edge of a lake in Abitibi. But how were all these movements possible? In fact, it is a prefabricated modular building divided into four sections, which was machined in Fredericton, New Brunswick, then transported by truck on the roads of Quebec to be assembled there in just a few days.

The problem is that the company behind the project subsequently experienced financial and legal setbacks which ended up sinking the boat. The Éridan house was put up for sale under judicial supervision in 2017. This is where Mario Plante comes into the picture. Seduced by this avant-garde property which contrasts with traditional regional architecture, he acquired, jointly with his mother who would establish her quarters there, the orphan residence.

Dominant glass

No doubt, its unique side stands out even more in Val-d’Or, where prestigious houses are already not found in the streets. Now located in the Sullivan district, on a wooded plot of approximately 50,000 sq. ft.^⁠2 (4645m^⁠2) and bordering a lake, it occupies the end of a quiet dead end.

At the time, the builder wanted to demonstrate that a prefabricated residence can also involve high-end materials and architecture. The assembly of stone, wood and glass thus offers a rather unexpected result. One of the elements that immediately catches the eye: the overhanging and extending dining room, supported by two pilotis, with entirely glass walls. “It feels like we’re outside. It overlooks the lake, with high ceilings and lots of light. In winter, it is not always necessary to heat the room, and that is also why it is equipped with solar shades and blinds for the summer,” explains Mr. Plante, who has no difficulty in presenting the residence… being himself a real estate broker and taking care, logically, of its resale.

There are three levels, including a huge garage/basement, a ground floor with a family room, two bedrooms and a bathroom, while the upper floor houses an open concept living room, kitchen and bathroom. dining room, completed by a suite of three rooms: bedroom, wardrobe and bathroom arranged in a row.

Inside, glass also forges the character of the place, through the windows, the railings, the walls along the staircase with floating steps or elements on the floor.

“What is very special is the triple glass floor between the ground floor and the basement. It measures approximately 4 feet by 40 feet, and creates continuity between the two very high 20-foot windows located on one side of the house and the other on two floors. This means that you can still see the lake, even if you are on the street side, at the other end,” explains the co-owner.

Cast in concrete?

The Éridan house was also designed to enjoy sunny days outside. On the street side, the immense concrete slab covering the garage serves as a front terrace. On the lake side, another area with wooden floors and mosquito nets adjoins the family room, topped by its twin sister, just above, but equipped with glass guardrails. “We barely see them, you might even think that there is nothing at all around this terrace! », Reports Mr. Plante.

These large spaces to maintain put a lot on the shoulders of the current occupants, who think they are better suited for a small family, a couple or a professional looking for space. “The garage extends over 1000 ft^⁠2. I can clearly see an entrepreneur who needs space to store his equipment,” suggests the broker, very aware that the residence is significantly above the average real estate value in Val-d’Or. “But there’s a market for it.” The buyer who wants this and can afford it won’t have many choices in the sector. It is the only one in this modern style, with a flat roof and not a sloping one,” he emphasizes.

Before closing the doors, one last question torments us. Since it has been taken apart and reassembled several times, would it be possible to move the modular home again? Unfortunately, foundations have been poured and the latter is permanently anchored on its land. No more nomadism: it will be Val-d’Or or nothing.