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Domaine Les Capelans
By : Atelier Schwimmer
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Residential Building / Cottage & Country House : Gold Certification
Domaine Les Capelans is located on 9,000 square meters plot in Ste-Irénée, Charlevoix, Quebec, overviewing Saint-Lawrence River. Its design represents Atelier Schwimmer\’s holistic approach; it considers the site and is permeable to the clients desires.
This exceptional lot has been owned for generations by the clients family. The geological history of the site inspires has inspired Atelier Schwimmer, who designed the residence as an epicentre from which extraordinary views emanate and memories will be created through the seasons.
SITE – The lot is slim and long, perpendicular to the river, sloping downhill. A sinuous 100-meter path skirts the mature trees and leads to the cottage. The location of the building takes advantage of the intrinsic qualities of the site, the slope is perfect to receive a house with garden level, the house placed near the cliff, offers a plunging view on the river.
ARCHITECTURE – The form of the house is rooted in the analysis of 3 elements: the topography, the exterior environment (view and sunlight) and the interior design program. The concept translates into 3 wings that are \”extrusions\” of the iconic shape of a house meeting in a central axis.
– The west wing points towards the street, it contains the entrance and a large exterior storage area facilitating the storage of sports amenities;
– The north wing points towards the St. Lawrence estuary and contains the bedrooms offering a view of the river, two stacked areas on each floor allow for greater privacy;
– The south wing contains the daytime spaces, this volume is parallel to the river with large windows, on the ground floor the common reception spaces and on the lower ground floor the play spaces (game, sauna, yoga…);
– The central node hosts the staircase and leads to a door opening onto the land on the river side, its strategic position allows discreet movements between the different areas of the residence.
MATERIALITY – The exterior walls are clad in pre-aged white cedar. Arriving to the house is remarkable for the absence of an entrance door, an almost ecclesiastical proportion of this facade is inspired by the client\’s nostalgia for Domaine Forget, it is characterized by a slatted wall that conceals the entry. The uniformity of the light gray wood lends an intentional sobriety.
Interior finishes of the walls on the ground floor are clad in pine clapboard, painted white, reminiscent of traditional cottages. This predominance of white in intended to bright up the space. The orientation of the windows and the terrace allow for constant contact with the river.
Collaboration
