Any renovation requires a good dose of planning. We introduce projects of various sizes, which could give ideas.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Here is the unusual story of the restoration of a heritage house and the surrounding land, in Saint-Laurent. It is a love story carried by the descendants of the Bélanger family, the elected officials of the district, its population and teams of passionate professionals who joined forces to make it an exemplary project.
Nothing destined the Robert-Bélanger house, built between 1803 and 1806, in Saint-Laurent, to become one of the first heritage homes in Canada to hold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. It stood firm for 200 years, thanks to members of the Robert and Bélanger families, owners until 1986. Its fate seemed sealed in 2007, when those who had acquired it indicated their desire to demolish it.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Daniel Durand, architect and partner at DFS Architecture & Design
“A group promoting the conservation of the house, which included a descendant of the Bélanger family, was formed, the City listened and an analysis of its heritage interest was carried out,” underlines architect Daniel Durand, partner at DFS Architecture & Design.
In 2009, the Robert-Bélanger house was recognized as a historic monument by the City of Montreal.
Several elements militated in its favor, including the fact that the land on which the house was built belonged to the Robert family from approximately 1750 to 1848 and that the Bélanger family owned the land and the house for five generations. . The residence, passed down through donations, is also representative of the farm houses built on the island of Montreal at the same time. One of the last two farm houses built between 1770 and 1820 in Saint-Laurent, it is located on land which highlights it and recalls the agricultural vocation of the site.
The borough of Saint-Laurent acquired the Robert-Bélanger house and the land in 2010, but the path to restoring their luster was strewn with pitfalls, testifies the mayor of the borough, Alan DeSousa, who took the matter under his wing.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Alan DeSousa, mayor of the borough of Saint-Laurent
The wish was not only to protect the heritage, but to do it in an exemplary way, to bring the house into the 21st.e century and ensure that it is seen as a symbol of success.
Alan DeSousa, mayor of the borough of Saint-Laurent
“I admit that we encountered difficulties,” he explains. In our vision, the site is as important as the house. Their history and uses are closely linked. It took a lot of effort and political will to secure the land, which was in an area where many new houses were being built. The land, which today generates crops that feed our food banks, is a nod to Saint-Laurent’s agricultural past. »
Certification LEED
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
In 1973, the residence was still inhabited by members of the Bélanger family.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
In 1978, members of the Bélanger family still lived in the house. Its front facade and gable walls had changed little since the construction of the residence.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
The house had been extended at the rear. This section was destroyed during the first phase of work in 2013.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
From this angle, part of the extension is visible, at the front of the house.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
In 2018, the house was in poor condition. We can see traces of the extension at the back of the house.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
In 2018, the house was in poor condition.
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fThe interior of the house was stripped in 2013, during a first round of work. In 2017, another call for tenders was carried out, won by the DFS Architecture & Design agency. She was the prime contractor for the entire project and was responsible for the architectural aspects and the coordination of all the interventions of the other disciplines in the house and on the land.
Like all buildings in Saint-Laurent, the ancestral home had to be preserved by aiming for LEED certification, at the request of Mayor DeSousa.
“It was quite a challenge, because there are very sophisticated electromechanical systems,” reveals architect Anh Dang, project manager for the Saint-Laurent borough. Geothermal wells supply the heat pump system. Strategies were developed, for example, to conceal the electromechanical system. We don’t see any plinths on the ground floor or upstairs. These are all the strategies, which were put in place inside and outside, which preserved the heritage aspect of this house. »
It’s a bit unexpected that we’re asking for LEED certification on a 200-year-old heritage building, where we’re restoring it.
Daniel Durand, architect and partner at DFS Architecture & Design
“It is already a sustainable development approach to keep the house. Throughout the process, we weren’t sure we would obtain certification. We were very happy that it was LEED Silver certified,” notes the architect.
The ecological development of the site contributed to obtaining certification. In the lots that the district managed to acquire, an orchard and an ancestral vegetable garden were created, as well as a large vegetable garden subdivided into two sections. In the summer of 2024, thanks to the participation of volunteers and the VertCité organization, which notably manages this community vegetable garden, 900 kg of vegetables were distributed to food banks in the borough.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Architect Anh Dang is manager of the restoration project of the Robert-Bélanger house, in the borough of Saint-Laurent.
We pushed in all directions to get the most out of the land and the house, which is open to the public, while considering the needs of the surrounding population.
Anh Dang, architect and project manager
Praising the teamwork carried out to preserve the house and the land, which form a whole, Daniel Durand is proud to see how people of all ages take ownership of the site. Mayor Alan DeSousa hopes to inspire other cities in Quebec.
“Protection and conservation cases are often difficult, because it is much easier to demolish than to preserve what we already have,” he points out. If this achievement allows other mayors to see the beauty and what it evokes, it will be mission accomplished. »
In brief
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The Robert-Bélanger house, built between 1803 and 1806, is located at 3900, chemin du Bois-Franc, in Saint-Laurent. It is representative of the farm houses built on the island of Montreal at the same time.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The house is surrounded by ornamental plants widely used at the beginning of the 20th century.e century. An ancestral vegetable garden adjoins the residence, recalling the self-sufficiency of the former owners.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
A modern kitchen has been fitted where the original kitchen stood. Traces of the old bread oven are visible in the stone hearth.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The house has been restored respecting the construction methods of yesteryear. The plaster on the walls, for example, was installed using the traditional method.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
In summer and fall, this vegetable garden supplies food banks in Saint-Laurent. The wooden fence which surrounds it is reminiscent of the old barn which stood on this location.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
This picnic table is reminiscent of large tables, at a time when families were large.
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Duration of work:
- House: 25 months
- Natural environment: 15 months
Funding (house): 2.5 million (Montreal Cultural Development Agreement – Government of Quebec and City of Montreal)
Funding (natural environment): $1,165,286 (financial assistance program of the Green and Blue Network of Greater Montreal – Government of Quebec and Metropolitan Community of Montreal)
Essential: aim for LEED certification and recall the site’s agricultural past
Challenge: integrating very sophisticated electromechanical systems without it appearing
