Owner’s turn | Little jewel at Lac des Piles

Owners open the doors to their exceptional property, offered on the resale market

Martine Pronovost and Alexandre Gauthier Marchand came to live in a quiet bay of Lac des Piles, in Shawinigan, in 2008. They bought a small house, demolished it in 2015 and built a splendid contemporary building signed by the architect Pierre Thibault. A house with optimal windows nestled in lush vegetation.

Originally from the Mauritian region, the two 46 -year -old owners met at Cégep and dreamed of living one day by the water. “Students, we were tourting the lakes in a canoe and it was the lake of the batteries that we preferred,” recalls Alexandre Gauthier Marchand.

The Lac des Piles, on the verge of ex-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, is a renowned oasis of the region. “It is one of the clearest water lakes in Quebec,” says Mr. Gauthier Marchand. Half of the city of Shawinigan is powered by this water. »»

The owners called on the workshop of Pierre Thibault because they loved his osmosis houses with the environment. “We tried our luck and he agreed to achieve ours,” said Mr. Gauthier Marchand. In fact, it was the architect Claudia Campeau, today on his own in Montreal, who took care of the project concretized by the general entrepreneur Réjean Désilets. As everything went well, it motivates us to embark on another construction project. »»

A spectacular house

Nicknamed the large bridge, La Demeure, created in two architectural volumes, received, in 2017, the price of excellence of the Order of Architects of Quebec, category of unifamilial residential buildings. It is indeed a spectacular house. First by its well -proportioned volumes, connected by a long corridor. Then by its transparency induced by an omnipresent aluminum window which immerses the building in its green environment. And finally, by the quality of the materials.

We see the lake as soon as you enter the house, thanks to this long splendid corridor which still smells of cedar. The input volume contains, on the ground floor, the garage and, below, the gym from which we distinguish the indoor grassy and the lake through the windows of the other block, the input volume being one foot higher than the other.

The house looks great with its gray cedar coating. This gran wood aspect goes well with the modernity of steel and glass. We find cedar in ceilings while the floors are in cherry. The 13 rooms have a total area of ​​4853 pi^⁠2. The largest space includes the living room, the dining room and the kitchen in a row. “My favorite space! Said Martine Pronovost. Everything is almost white. The view of the lake is breathtaking. Besides, the three bedrooms have seen on the lake and the sunset.

Heated and air -conditioned thanks to geothermal energy, the well ventilated house does not require any repair. And it is true that everything looks new, even if the construction was finished in spring 2016. The interior stairs are elegant. Each room has sliding doors that expand the home. Even the kitchen is not overloaded, the equipment being in a discreet expense located behind the room.

And outside …

The roofs are elastomer. On one of the roofs, a small terrace has been arranged to have an aperitif against the lake. A mosquito net makes it possible to bask near a home and another terrace overlooks the bank. The owners have a pontoon to moor the boat that allows them to go around the lake with their children or friends. An hour and a half walk. “And in winter, you can skate,” says Martine Pronovost. Each owner creates his ice rink. »»

The neighborhood is quiet. The neighboring houses are not visible, the trees being very high. The owner’s bank has been fitted out by leaving plants suitable for this environment to take their place, which gives a wild side to access to the lake and frames this bright house with lush vegetation.

The family will therefore move. Without regret. Life continues. “We had the chance to live here, to see our two children grow up,” says Alexandre Gauthier Marchand. Now they want to be closer to their friends. We will offer them that for the end of their adolescence. For a little more urban life. Then, we will buy land for another construction project in the region, surrounded by nature. »»

Consult the property sheet