Unique, with its roof that seems to be suspended, aerial by its generously glazed shell, this architectural creation signed by the MXMA firm is nonetheless grafted to its territory thanks to a stone base that gives it a timeless elegance. In its green setting overlooking the Saint-Laurent River, Villa Luce fits in with delicacy and solidity, in a beautiful balance between nature and modernity.
Originally from Chaleur Bay, Nadine* had been thinking about buying a property in Gaspésie for a while. Aware of the challenges of distance, she ended up turning to the terraces of Cap-à-l’Aigle, in La Malbaie, after being won over by the idea of joining friends who had already settled on the mountain.
PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
In the surrounding area, several houses are located on cleared land, so as to be able to enjoy exceptional views of the river. The designers and owners have instead chosen to preserve the vegetation in place, eventually clearing only the bare minimum.
“It’s halfway there, I can go there more often and the rental potential is greater than in Gaspésie,” says the Montrealer, who also finds in the Charlevoix heights the elements of her hometown that she wanted to reconnect with – water, a view of the horizon and a peaceful pace – with the option of treating herself to a good restaurant on occasion, the region not being lacking in them.
PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
The east-west orientation of the house allows guests to enjoy a panoramic view of the river: on one side, a view of the horizon and, on the other, the sunsets over La Malbaie and its mountains, where the houses light up in the evening like stars on a black background.
But this choice is not just a matter of convenience. The mountain has become a meeting place for five old high school friends and their families who have their quarters there. “In the winter, we play hockey at the rink and we meet up during school holidays,” she says. In the summer, although not all the families are there at the same time, there is always at least one on site.
PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
The client being a billiards enthusiast, the table had to be a central point of the project.
The pool table, placed in the center of the living spaces, reflects this desire to make it a welcoming place that encourages family and friendly interactions. The kitchen, dining room and living room are spread around this focal and playful point.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
“There was this idea of returning to something simple while having services nearby,” says Nadine.
“A community has developed around this land,” says Nadine, for whom this project goes far beyond a simple real estate investment: it is a place where children can create lasting memories and meet up later.
Building with delicacy
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Warm thanks to its wood cladding which continues on the rear walls, the imposing cathedral ceiling crowns the common rooms.
Nadine had only one word in mind when she handed over the construction of this project to the MXMA team, composed of Maxime Moreau and Jonathan Petitclerc: “light”! It is understandable that this architectural creation has since been named Villa Luce, a nod to this achieved objective and to the origins of Nadine’s husband, Raffaele, who is Italian (“luce” means “light” in Italian).
PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
Door sills recessed into the floor make movement between the interior and exterior smooth.
“Right from the design stage, we took a lot of time to properly locate the house,” emphasizes architect Maxime Moreau, for whom it was also crucial to “humanize” the deforestation. Beyond a 15-foot perimeter, established with the contractor, Demonfort, the surrounding vegetation was preserved thanks to the use of rockfill that forced the machinery to go around the trees during construction.
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PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
Large windows open onto the terraces on either side and accentuate the impression of living outdoors. The use of a glass guardrail without balusters gives the illusion that there is no barrier.
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PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
The central axis of the house is a structuring element that has been given a practical purpose. It accommodates, among other things, storage and an office space.
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PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
Carefully thought out, the kitchen highlights noble materials arranged in perfect symmetry. “There is a rigor in the alignments,” emphasizes Maxime Moreau, of MXMA. “We made sure that the center of the island opens directly into the bay.”
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PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
The living room finds its version lounge on the adjacent terrace. This is also the case on the other side where the kitchen is located.
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This cautious approach will allow residents to enjoy both the beauty of the surrounding forest and breathtaking views of the river and mountains. It is without rush that the owners evaluate the trees to be removed individually, with the aim of obtaining some thinning in strategic places.
To gain maximum light and enjoy a panoramic view of the surroundings, the living spaces have been placed on the upper floor, from where one has the impression of floating on the treetops. As for the bedrooms, the family room and the vestibule, they follow one another on the ground floor in an intimate and enveloping forest decor.
Of glass and rock
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The ground floor houses the vestibule, a family room and a series of bedrooms, each with their own terrace.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The clients gave carte blanche to the architectural firm, which was also responsible for project management and pre-selection of the various interior design elements.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The exterior stone continues into the master suite and accentuates this impression of connection with nature.
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In its upper part, Villa Luce has large windows that flood the common areas with light. You can see the sun passing over the river throughout the day and the seasons, thanks to a rectangular volume that unfolds from east to west, and ends, at each end, on terraces. “From one of them, you can see the tip of La Malbaie and, from the other, have a view of the river that opens up to infinity,” explains Nadine.
PHOTO NANNE SPRINGER, PROVIDED BY MXMA
The master suite has access to the garden and its own small spa, inspired by the owners’ holiday memories.
When the sun sets over La Malbaie, the house takes on reddish and orange hues. “It’s a completely different atmosphere,” says the owner, emphasizing the dynamic beauty of the space. Moreover, it is also to accentuate this lively side of the villa that the accent lighting was increased, partly hidden in a transverse wall that acts as a spine in the heart of a glass box.
Five feet deep, this structuring axis crosses the house on two floors and also serves as furniture. It encompasses the utility spaces of the house, including the bathroom, kitchen cabinets, fireplace, a closet, mechanical and laundry rooms as well as a small office area. To keep it as uncluttered as possible, the doors are hidden and without frames. This structural column stops before the ceiling, points out Maxime Moreau. The wooden vault is thus visible in its entirety and accentuates the impression of grandeur felt on the premises. Painted in forest green, it continues this dialogue with nature that is at the heart of the project and is definitely one of the most telling points of this light house.
*Last name has been omitted to protect the owner’s privacy