The Star | Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed!

Built in the 1960s, this former chalet in the Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs ski center features bold star-shaped architecture. Transformed into a unique home thanks to elements recovered by its owner, the place symbolizes anti-waste in terms of renovation. A story to follow to design our homes differently.

When architect Jean-Robert Tremblay, of Volume Concept, talks about this property, it is with stars in his eyes and obvious gratitude to Georges Labonté, the owner. The latter purchased the estate in 2014, when this former ski center had been transformed into a quadruplex. The astonishing shape of the building – which gave it its original name, L'Étoile – and the interior volume won him over and he immediately noticed the possibility of making it a single-family or multi-generational home.

He then contacted Mr. Tremblay to lend him a hand, but he was far from imagining how his client saw the project. “He took me to his Ali Baba cave [sa grange]where I became aware of all the waste that we make in the construction industry,” recalls the architect.

This is for example the case of the massive marble blocks acquired during an auction by the City of Montreal, used to create the shower and the staircase.

It must be said that for Mr. Labonté, waste is inconceivable and recovery, a passion. He unearthed his findings in Quebec, then in other countries where he worked, including France, Algeria and Senegal.

Trees are also at the center of his interests, since he bought his first land at 18 years old. His knowledge and respect for the forest allows him to know which tree or branch can be cut to carry out projects without harming the growth of the woods.

A tiled floor… roofing

The major renovation applies to the ground floor of the residence, now completely open-plan. Initially, there was a fireplace in the center of the space and, when it was removed, cavities that served as the conduit for the old chimney were discovered. MM. Labonté and Tremblay then created a glass pyramid, which crowns the building and maximizes natural light inside. To punctuate this large room dressed in oak and cherry parquet recycled or cut on the owner's land, a portion of the floor is covered with a covering that resembles slate. In fact, these are reclaimed roofing tiles.

Also, two curved wooden partitions promote the warm atmosphere that reigns in the open area. The first, which separates the living room from the secondary bedrooms, is made of spruce. The owner informs that he got it from former neighbors who were getting rid of it. The second wall conceals the master suite, but above all stands out as a true work of art in the decor. It took several years to think about it and then make it. Made up of wood of different species recovered by Georges Labonté, it includes pieces of a house piece by piece dating from 1850. This wall is therefore rich in history and it well depicts the concept of this renovation carried out with materials and objects second (or even third, fourth and more…) hand.

Ideas for better renovation

From this experience, messages emerge that Jean-Robert Tremblay would like to convey. “The problem with renovation today is that when you modify a building, there are still materials that are good, but we tend to change them and we don't even recover them to give them a second life elsewhere, he laments. On a construction site, to reduce labor time, when a screw falls, we take another rather than picking it up. »

He also notes that the major pitfall in recovery is that it requires many more hours of work in renovation. “The government will give subsidies, in particular to install a heat pump, but it could do something to recover materials,” he suggests.

The architect launched the idea of ​​creating large areas of recycled products, with fair prices because they are still used; or, at least, sections in hardware stores where these old materials would be sold. It would be a practical way to find what we need in one place and we would help save the planet, he believes.

Mr. Labonté naturally communicates his anti-waste values ​​to the people he meets. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday and he is going to give the next person the chance to enjoy his house, which has just been put up for sale. To mark his birthday, he wanted to taste his own wine, which had been sitting in a jug for years! All his guests drank it and found it to have a slight taste of port. Here again, the owner demonstrated that it pays to keep your stuff!

Consult the property file

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