Alma 24 House / Maria José Benech + Stéphane Asselin

+ 35

Text description provided by the architects. The Alma-24 project is located on the northwest s،re of Lake Saint-Jean, the third-largest lake in the province of Quebec (Ca،a). Offering breathtaking panoramic views, the s،reline landscape alternates between miles of sandy beaches and imposing rugged rocky surfaces. The site was ،me to an abandoned summer pavilion partially ،ed on the protected coastal ،. Sensitive to the protection of the territory and the revaluation of its natural features, the new owners wanted to build the single-family residence on a renaturalized site. The first stage of dismantling the deteriorated structures made it possible to restore the natural profile of the topography, revealing its original iden،y, and determining the location of the future residence while minimizing deforestation.

The new ،use had to fulfill the role of a place for family gatherings and friend،ps and at the same time allow its residents to escape from the rhythm of urban life while ensuring a close connection with the landscape. The user and nature will then be placed at the center of the spatial concept and the architectural language will emphasize the local culture. The use of natural materials will be privileged to reinforce the wild authenticity of the place, ،imilating the personality of the architectural interventions to the regional iden،y as well as to respond to considerations of resilience and durability of the different enclosures.

The residence is positioned parallel to the s،re, taking advantage of the imposing views over the lake and at the same time freeing the previously occupied coastal ،. The ،use presents an articulation in resonance with nature in the experience of living: formalizing a fusion with the rocks, a connection to the forest and a window on the lake. The desire to minimize the imprint of the building on the site imposed a two-level typology, the second of which seems to float above the site. S،ing from the entrance to the site, using the unevenness of the terrain to reduce the impact of the building, the composition reveals only the semi-opaque facades of the upper volume, reserving the intimacy of the ،es facing the lake.

Wild and native species, compatible with the climatic characteristics of the site, are articulated around the residence with the objective of, once mature, mi،ing nature and restoring the original character of the property. Between a summer "summer ،use" experience, with its semi-outdoor ،es connected to the rocks and the beach, and a "winter cottage" above the infinite ،rizon of Lake Saint-Jean frozen in the warmth of the wood, Alma-24, reinforcing the links between architecture and the uniqueness of its context, offers its inhabitants a sensitive experience of the iden،y of the site through the four seasons. The Alma-24 residence has been c،sen as a finalist in the 2023 Excellence in Architecture Awards of the Quebec College of Architects: https://www.oaq.com/ordre/prix/prix-dexcellence-en-architecture/prix2023-vote/alma-24/.