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LE LAGOM
By : M2L IMMOBILIER INC, M4 ARCHITECTURE, DAVID CHAMBERLAND
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Lodging, Cottage & Cabin for Rent : Gold Certification
Plans and design
Laury-Jane Mondoux Poirier and David Chamberland with the help of the technologist Marie-Catherine from M4 ARCHITECTURE
Constructor
Fd construction
AESTHETIC
The design of the chalet reminds us of neither too much nor too little – that is the great guideline of one of the greatest Swedish philosophies, the [ˈlɑːˌɡɔm] (pronounced lar-gom) in which simplicity and equality reign in everyday life, where nature is essential… Lagom is a lifestyle focused on balance, modesty, consent and unpretentiousness. So here without pretension, the design of the chalet : Its shell can be seen as minimalist as it is grandiose. Neither too much nor too little. At first glance, the Lagöm looks quite ordinary in front with its small vertical window located on the first floor and another window a little more imposing located upstairs. A design that makes you want to know more, that makes you want to discover what is hidden behind this « chapel » with its 26′ high aluminum roof perched in the treetops. You’d never imagine that the chalet actually has a living area of only 35m2. As you approach, you get a glimpse in the soul of the place through the vertical window, a view that is unobstructed and transversal, from the bathroom to the mountains. Walking quietly towards the main entrance door, one discovers a covered gallery that opens onto a large three-level terrace, giving way to different angles of view – to different paintings and images that follow one another in the middle of nature. A 300′ panoramic « above the sky » view of the mountains and the St. Lawrence River. When you turn your gaze to the rear elevation, you discover a breathtaking design, what seemed small on the front side becomes immensely large on both sides with its fallout on each side. We discover a large window of aluminum and tempered glass on 3 distinct facades with a height of 20′ – overlooking the mountains and the St. Lawrence River. The gray tone of the Lagöm cedar and its terrace blend into the natural environment and endure over time.
SHAPE
The Lagöm is one of the first minimalist tourist rental cabins to be built on the Maelström Mountain, a 36 million sq.ft. mountain comprising of 88 forest lots of approximately 4 hectares each, with recreational- forestry zoning. The original intent of the Lagöm was to make it the first Scandinavian-style, eco-friendly « mini-chalet » in Quebec to be powered entirely by solar energy and to bring the beauty of nature to the forefront by making its occupants want to be in symbiosis with it.
Thanks to its spatial organization, open areas both inside and outside, cathedral-like ceiling of 24′ height and location at 550 meters above sea level, at the top of the trees, one simply wants to breathe and recharge one’s batteries in the neither too much nor too little Swedish way of life. The Lagöm is a 35m2 eco-lodge built entirely of cedar and can accommodate 4 people. Thanks to its panoramic view, we discover a decor that changes with the seasons; truly magical.
The beauty of simplicity; what could be simpler than a triangular shape on a rectangular shape reminding us of the house drawings we made as little ones. The Lagöm respects its environment; it looks like it was simply placed there, on the edge of a granite cliff. Your breath is literally taken away as you discover the neither too much nor too little, the simplicity of the choice of materials, from the cedar wood that endures in time, to the effect of grandeur from the top of its 35m2, its large windows, its mezzanine, its majestic wooden ceiling that crosses from the inside to the outside and ends in a covered terrace, with two fallouts, two large pillars that melt between mountains and valleys.
FUNCTION
Despite the great challenges we are currently experiencing, the world today is facing a looming climate crisis. So we asked ourselves: what can we do on a human scale to be part of the change we want to see while expecting profitability from our investments? We chose to invest in short-term rental real estate with sustainable characteristics.
Despite the dark side of short-term rentals such as the allocation of long-term rental housing availability, the demand for short-term rentals is growing month after month. People are realizing that weekends away from home and weeks at the cabin is now an accessible product. The current stress in our society is increasing which makes the desire to get away from it all, to relax, take care of ourselves, spend time away from home in an environment that makes us feel good, a viable option. The Lagöm has been designed to provide a simple experience and to finally « take a break » and feel the power and benefits of « reconnecting » with nature. With its 35 m2 of living space and its simplistic and uncluttered design, it invites the user to live in the present moment and reduce energy consumption. We realize that it is possible to live and occupy our daily activities simply. Each of the space’s interior has been calculated to be as ergonomic and useful as possible for its user. The effect of the bay windows, the cathedral ceiling and the large exterior terrace overlooking the mountains and valleys, compels the user to meditate and contemplate.
EXPERTISE
M4 Architecture, which was involved in this project at the final plan’s step, has been orienting its projects since 2002 towards « Scandinavian » style architecture with mountainous terrain, characteristic of Lagöm. For their part, David Chamberland and Laury-Jane Mondoux Poirier, owners, are not at their first residential construction project. Having just returned from a year in British Columbia to build a residential project and from a trip to Bali, the two owners had big ideas and a mission to build 4 ecological and Scandinavian type cabins in Quebec. Thanks to their experience, they succeeded in creating the latter’s first « mini-chalet » in Quebec and
overcame several challenges and the constraints related of building on a 4 hectare forest lot located in a recreational and touristic area. The family is growing, the Lagöm being the oldest, then comes the Hygge, both them located on the same mountain. The Fika will be the youngest. This is the beginning of a great story…
CREATIVITY, ORIGINALITY AND INNOVATION
At the time of the construction of the Lagöm, the trend towards « mini- homes », « mini-chalets » and « glamping » was still very unpopular and unknown in the construction field in Quebec. It was also considered avant-garde by municipalities. The Lagöm’s zoning allowed, among other things, the construction of a « rustic shelter » within certain constraints. The financial institutions, the inspectors and the urban planners of the municipalities didn’t believe in it at all and they were far from imagining at the time that a « rustic relay » and ready-to-camp building as designated by the municipality of Lac-Beauport could one day looks like the Lagöm. That’s why since its construction in 2018, a hundred or so cabins of the same type and style have sprung up all over Quebec and glamping has become the newest form of « ready-to-camp ». Financial institutions have slowly but surely shown an openness to mortgage financing for this type of construction and many municipalities have adjusted their zoning by-laws to allow for the creation and existence of such a project. The Lagöm is now on the front page of one of the largest reservation sites in the world, Airbnb, and the Quebec site Wechalet. In the last few years, it has been featured on several television shows and was part of the Mini chalet – grandeur nature series on CASA, has been quoted in a hundred articles and even appears in one of the Cabin Tripping books. David and Laury-Jane overcame many challenges creating the Lagöm. In order to respect the norms and references of construction required by the municipality of Lac-Beauport, the future building had to be of the « rustic relay » type having for only access a 3km gravel forest road with a total elevation of 300 meters, that the building had no foundation, that it had a maximum height of 8 meters, that its habitable surface on the ground respected 20m2 – that there was no access to conventional electricity, that its main building was built at a distance of 10 meters from a sector of steep slope. The biggest challenge was to find the best way to exploit this forest’s lot and its location at 550 meters above sea level, the 300 degree panoramic view of the mountains and the St. Lawrence River, to respect nature, to build according to the northeast orientation of the land, to exploit the sunrise to its maximum in order to optimize its solar panels and to anchor the building well in order to withstand wind gusts in the mountains that can sometimes reach 150 km/h. The Lagöm was therefore built on 16 sonotubes and its legendary terrace was built on 24 techno piles and cross bars were installed under the gallery to anchor it well and avoid any « parachute » effect during strong winds. The solar panels were also wired. The cedar used for the exterior cladding and for the exterior terrace is not a new material but is more commonly used in Scandinavian countries or for buildings located by the sea for example. As one of the most rot-resistant and low- maintenance wood species, cedar was chosen here in this project to last over time because it also acts as a repellent to invasive species such as carpenter ants resident in the boreal forest surrounding the building. It also features aluminum siding for the roof and windows with tempered glass thermos to resist the elements!
TECHNOLOGY
The Lagöm is the pioneer of the ecological « Scandinavian mini-chalet » category in Quebec – 100% autonomous and self-sufficient – and remains a unique project to this day. It is a blend of excess in simplicity, of neither too much nor too little. Since 2018, the Lagöm has maintained a rental rate of 98% and attracts travelers from all over the world to live the latter’s experience, something never seen before in the recreational-tourism field. The Lagöm is a pioneer in full-size mini- cabins and remains a habitat project with sustainable characteristics through a healthy lifestyle by access to nature, health through a superior quality of water consumed and air breathed from the mountains, and the reduction of the use of chemicals in the construction of its home. All these characteristics meet the needs of people who want to take care of themselves, to destabilize their traditional living environment with experiences of energy autonomy, self-sufficiency, to participate in encouraging changes to the climate crisis by investing their savings in environmentally friendly places. The Lagöm offers the opportunity to recharge and rejuvenate in a breathtaking location only 30 minutes from downtown in an energy efficient space. It is also accessible to users of all ages, regardless of their level of autonomy and ability!
EVOCATION OF EMOTIONS AND AMUSING DETAILS
Although the photos of the Lagöm are beautiful, its users report that they do not capture the grandiose feeling of the place at all. Seen from the front, the Lagöm looks ordinary. As soon as you get to the terrace you realize the immensity of the place. Since 2018, there have been 22 marriage proposals and 3 weddings. The north-east orientation of the building allows for incredible sunrises and sunsets. Far from the light pollution, you can see the Milky Way, the Northern Lights, new landscapes always more dazzling than the others, you can have the feeling to be « above the sky » above the clouds. You can see a sky that is sometimes misty, sometimes of a blue-mauve color that is difficult to describe – the horizon that can change color from one minute to the next. Sometimes you can even see airplanes and pilots holding out their hands! At the Lagöm, inside and outside, you can finally breathe and have the impression of being alone in the world only 30 minutes from Quebec City, it is a completely incredible feeling! It is a paradise where it’s good to practice mindfulness and to contemplate things with hindsight without judgment and with love. Every minute there is a dose of comfort, of healing where the insurmountable becomes definitely surmountable! Want to have a glamping experience? Put the Lagöm experience on your to-do list.
Collaboration
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