Les Berges Residence

Daoust Design

Short description

Les Berges — Honoring Memory, Embracing the Landscape

Perched quietly on the edge of Lac Magog, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Canada, Les Berges embodies a sensitive transformation—an architectural response to place, memory, and evolving needs. Originally a rustic cabin, the structure has been carefully reconceived as a permanent residence. The intervention does not erase the past: it builds upon it. A section of the original foundation and the emblematic fieldstone fireplace were preserved, forming the base for a new narrative that reconnects the home to its surroundings with greater clarity and intention.
The gesture is modest but assertive. A lateral extension reorients the living spaces toward the lake, welcoming in natural light and framing long, horizontal views across the water. Every opening was calibrated to balance intimacy with openness, shelter with exposure. The new volume adopts a restrained, low profile, aligning itself with the landscape rather than dominating it.

Architecture as Continuity, Not Contrast

Rather than staging a dramatic opposition between old and new, the project seeks quiet integration. The preserved fireplace (raw, textured, and historically resonant) stands in dialogue with crisp forms, neutral surfaces, and a warm, tactile material palette. Natural oak, mineral-based finishes, soft textiles, and matte stone contribute to an atmosphere of calm and coherence.
Color is used with discretion, yet purposefully. Hints of mint, teal, and burgundy emerge throughout the interiors, not as accents, but as soft threads that enrich the spatial narrative. These hues lend identity to the home without drawing attention away from its true protagonist: the landscape beyond.

A House Designed to Be Lived In

Though refined in expression, Les Berges is above all a residence designed for full-time living by a couple seeking balance between retreat and engagement. With just two bedrooms, one for guests, one for the owners, the layout reflects deliberate simplicity. On the upper level, the principal suite opens onto a mezzanine, offering an elevated view of the lake. This vertical move—unusual in such settings—introduces a moment of spatial generosity within an otherwise horizontal plan.
Circulation is clear and uncluttered. Transitions between rooms are fluid, with minimal partitions, maximized natural light, and thoughtfully framed perspectives. Built-in furniture and integrated lighting extend the design’s language into everyday life, creating an experience that is both immersive and quietly sophisticated.
Sustainability Rooted in Pragmatism
Environmental thinking began with the decision to reuse. Preserving part of the original foundation and the fireplace reduced demolition, minimized site disruption, and anchored the new work in continuity. From there, the project prioritized passive strategies: optimal solar orientation, abundant daylighting, natural ventilation, and locally sourced, low-emission materials.
The envelope was completely rebuilt for energy performance. The house breathes and responds, rather than relying on elaborate systems. Surrounding vegetation was left intact, and no invasive grading was performed near the shoreline. In this way, the design favors long-term sustainability through restraint and good judgment, not technology for its own sake.

A Collaborative Effort at Every Stage

From concept to execution, Les Berges was the product of close collaboration between designers, builders, artisans, and clients. Its precision was not born of standardization, but of constant dialogue. Details such as custom millwork, stair geometry, window recesses, and lighting strategies were all developed iteratively responding not only to technical requirements, but to how the space feels, flows, and lives.
Challenges were addressed in real time. Aligning new volumes with the existing foundation, raising and integrating rooflines, and navigating structural transitions required agility and foresight. The result is a project that feels inevitable—yet every line, junction, and surface carries the weight of thoughtful decision-making.

Timelessness as an Intention

Beyond aesthetics or function, Les Berges aspires to a deeper ambition: timelessness. It is a house that does not chase trends, but instead finds quiet strength in proportion, material honesty, and experiential clarity. It seeks to endure, not as an icon, but as a place to return to, again and again.
Its beauty lies not in grandeur, but in restraint. It is an architecture of nuance, built with care, and anchored in something larger than itself: a lake, a memory, a way of living.
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Location: Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada
Year: 2025
Type: Renovation
Area: 3,000 sq. ft.