La Villa Luce Cap-à-l'Aigle, Canada

La Villa Luce

Cap-à-l'Aigle, Canada

Nestled in a green setting, Villa Luce embodies a lifestyle in constant harmony with the sun, the St. Lawrence River, and the Charlevoix mountains. With its materials and morphology inspired by the region's typical houses, it represents modernity in harmony with tradition and the surrounding nature.

This residence, designed by MXMA Architecture & Design, was built on the heights of La Malbaie for a family wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the city to live in total immersion with nature. The owner dreamed of a warm refuge where she could rediscover the open horizons over the water that marked her childhood in Baie-des-Chaleurs, Gaspésie, Canada.

This love of the river led her to the village of Cap-à-l'Aigle, a few kilometers from La Malbaie. There, she discovered a promising piece of land on the mountainside within the Teracera real estate development. This entirely wooded plot offered the seclusion she was looking for, as well as optimum sunshine and an uninterrupted view of the St. Lawrence River.

Another important advantage was that the existing access road limited the environmental impact often associated with building in remote areas. As a result, very little clearing was required to integrate the house into the natural environment.

This concern to preserve as much of the existing vegetation as possible, to protect the integrity of the landscape, and to use natural materials has been a constant preoccupation of clients and architects from the outset. That's why, for example, they've made it their business to limit deforestation to five meters around the house. The aim? To preserve the soothing canopy of the trees at all costs, so as to benefit from their coolness in summer and protection from the wind in winter. The canopy also creates a natural transition between the architecture and its surroundings.

Photo credit: Nanne Springer

For more information

1.  www.mxma.ca