Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes is an architectural firm that brings together fanatics for designing contemporary projects that are inspired by Quebec and the Magdalen Islands, the same place from where this firm made its mark since 2011.
Led by Olivier Bourgeois and Régis Lechasseur, supported by an efficient work methodology, with the help of a diverse team, the firm is greatly known for its contemporary residential and commercial projects especially the cabin houses.
Architect Olivier Bourgeois is from the Magdalen Islands. He obtained his professional master’s degree in architecture in 2006. With the experience acquired in Quebec and abroad, Olivier Bourgeois is a zestful designer with successful skills in creating a sensitive and distinctive architecture, while taking advantage of the limitations and curiosities of the project location. His creations are unique due to a subtle maritime influence.
Architect Régis Lechasseur, originally from Bas-Saint-Laurent, obtained his professional master’s degree in architecture from Laval University in 2006. Régis Lechasseur is known for his project management skills that he gained from his several experiences while learning and exploring, and for his ability to simultaneously lead several large-scale projects. The technical skills he has is commendable to design suitable and efficient construction details for the targeted objectives.
Projects
RESIDENTIAL:
1. Cabin A
Cabin A located in the Falaise area, in Petite-Rivière-St-François, near the Le Massif ski resort, in the magnificent Charlevoix region in Quebec, is the first contemporary rental cabin series by Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes. Placed in Canada, it has a striking asymmetrical design.
The firm took inspiration from the international code of signals (ICS) used for nautical communications that displays naval architecture in its design. Cabin has a triangular roof that signifies sails facing winds. The structure also gives a pleasant view of the St. Lawrence river. Wood has been chosen as the main material. The spaces inside give a feeling of warmth in the snowy region.
2. Residence La Longue Vue
A beautiful view to reach, from the bottom of the mountain, a residence is seen which seems rested in the extension of the ridge, a magnificent piece of land is located near the Massif de Charlevoix. The approach towards the structure is via a long winding path. La Longue Vue offers a simple but effective way to appreciate the landscape as it is located parallel to the river.
The linear shape of the house and the organization of interior and exterior rooms allows it to take advantage of the different qualities of the site over the seasons and different time of the day. Wood is the major construction material used.
3. Dômes Charlevoix
“Les Dômes de Charlevoix offers a unique glamping experience – a contraction between glamor and camping,” as stated by the firm, the three geodesic domes are delicately placed in the landscape that offers a breath-taking view of the St. Lawrence River that flows. A design based on minimalism, full of elegance at the same time building a connection with nature.
To adapt to Canada’s harsh winters, each dome is being formed out of triangular steel panels that are covered by a pale gray PVC membrane. The interiors are made up of a heated concrete floor to provide enough warmth to the guest suite.
4. Villa Vingt
Villa Vingt is located on a sloping site next to the ski resort Le Relais. The high-altitude terrain offers a magnificent view of the Laurentian hills and the residential area of Lac-Beauport. It is a project that is built on the existing foundations of the client’s home.
With the interaction between the horizontality of the main facade and play of volumes, the house provides a strong presence. The project emerges from the site and its featured topography.
COMMERCIAL:
5. Bureaux Imedia Offices
A redevelopment project of the complete interiors of the ground floor for the new Imedia offices that consists of a conference room, a dining area, closed offices, an open area as well as spaces offered for rent to other entrepreneurs.
The main focus was to provide enough amount of natural light and also take care of the acoustics. The wooden slats on the ceiling create a canopy above the open area and allow the lighting to be merged in addition to helping to reduce the reverberation of sounds in the space. A clear open space provided in the middle allows proper circulation.
6. Radiological and medical clinics Lévis-Les Rivières
Another interior design project of the medical center and the radiology clinic of the Lévis-Les Rivières Health Complex by bourgeois Lechasseur Architectes that is done to offer a welcoming and warm architecture to provide relief and comfort to the patients mentally as well as physically. The spaces are designed in order to provide a sense of privacy and peacefulness to the patients while also keeping in mind the functionality to ease the work of the staff.
7. Premont Harley-Davidson
A new construction project by bourgeois Lechasseur Architectes of the Prémont Harley-Davidson store that is located in Quebec. The complex is nearly 8,000 square meters and consists of a large showroom, a museum with several collector’s items and a large repair shop.
The building signifies a landmark in the surrounding landscape as the architectural idea was to create an iconic building. The building peaks in the south of the site in a truncated tower which sinks at the top to make place for the Prémont “lantern”, that appears in the evening, like a lighthouse, a landmark visible from the motorway and the surrounding area.
8. Apogee Sport
Another construction project by bourgeois lechasseur architectes is the Apogée Sports that manufactures clothing and accessories for classic athletes. The building includes a boutique space, offices and a manufacturing workshop. The structure has a form of a simple prism from which volumes have been subtracted which makes it easy for the visitors to clearly distinguish the various accesses. The striking feature is the architectural staircase that is visible from the exterior through the large window and grabs the attention of users.
Use of metal and plywood is seen on the facades of the building. The building is covered with metallic sheets. Large windows and sliding doors are provided in the structure giving the users a feel of openness along with vastness.
PUBLIC:
9. Magdalen Islands Town Hall
An existing building from the ’90s required certain enhancements and had limitations in its size in relation to the number of employees. Therefore, a complete redevelopment project of the Magdalen town hall along with its expansion was carried out by bourgeois lechasseur architectes. The strength of the project lies in taking utmost care that it respects the original building and also that it amalgamates harmoniously with its form.
New fixes in the old building and improvisations led the building of this town hall effectively. Programming was complex. Considerations were made accordingly to use the part of the existing community hall as well as the attic of the roof.
10. Havre-Aubert barracks
The original building of the existing barracks was not functional for firefighters, the coating was deteriorated and the roof structure was affected. The order of the Municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine was to enlarge the existing barracks and a complete redevelopment project was carried out by bourgeois lechasseur architectes. The expansion freed up some space to park trucks. It included a fire department with a kitchen, a bathroom as well as storage spaces. The resulting project is very sober giving a second life to this institutional building.
11. East-North-East artist residency
One of the high places of wood sculpture in Quebec is Saint-Jean-Port-Joli and therefore makes it a prime location for setting up a production center and accommodation for artists in residence. The building by bourgeois lechasseur architectes stands out with its determinedly contemporary look, yet in harmony with the old houses and farm buildings nearby. It is built on a narrow and long site where the old building occupied by the center was located.
Formally, the building is made up of a monolithic volume with a gable roof that reminds the architecture of the Quebec countryside. The materials used are simple and, in general, of local origin.
12. Seafarers Square
This public square designed by the bourgeois lechasseur architectes that pays tribute to sea workers is located in the heart of the village of Cap-aux-Meules, in the Magdalen Islands, on the ruins of a fish processing plant that was destroyed by flames. This project is the first of the 13 exceptional sites of the Island Tour chosen for their panoramic, landscaped and historical character.
The project gives a second life to this strategic site and creates a place for passers-by to gather. The idea is to create an introverted place, which turns on itself. The ripple gives the impression of a stormy sea. There is a service pavilion, a belvedere, an area for the public market, a stage and an agora on the square.
INSTALLATIONS:
13. The Odyssey of collective space
Bourgeois lechasseur architectes had also set up various installations. The Odyssey of collective space is a slim mass with guileless looks, whose interior, that is fluid and organic, covering of the work consists of thin layers of 23 K gold leaf and it is sculpted to lighten and create a contemporary, innovative form. It acts as a source of collective inspiration and is a guarantee of sustainability.
This newly constructed work acts as a symbol of pillars that support a mass, like the invaluable financial support of donors to the entire university public.
14. Ice Hotel
Bourgeois / Lechasseur Architectes has been involved in the design of the Hôtel de Glace de Québec for the past 8 years. One of the great challenges of this exercise is to renew the visitor experience with each edition every passing year.
A new course articulates the spaces of the chapel, the bar, the entrance hall and the slide. The variations of the spatial organization summons to the discovery. There’s a slide that brings a touch of fantasy and invites the imagination. The design is done inside a rigid construction frame where the moulds for the snow structure are the same year after year.
15. Tetra-Magic
Three special “carte blanche” meaning complete freedom projects, which were presented at the Festival des Architectures Vives (FAV) in collaboration with PLUX.5 to celebrate ten years of ephemeral architecture. Tetra-Magic is an unconventional aerial construction that symbolizes flight. It was an abstract representation of what the festival meant for young architects.
The installation was also born out of a reflection on the belief of the time, a fundamental concept behind any ephemeral creation. Tetra-magic explores modularity and new material for PLUX.5, plexiglass and mirror. The tetrahedral modules evoke the FAV logo and are added delicately, like a house of cards.
