Charlevoix Architecture: History with a Soul

The timeless simplicity of Charlevoix's ancestral farms.

Some houses are like old souls.You feel it when you see them. Each house has its own story to tell, linking its occupants body and soul to the countryside. In Charlevoix, postmodern minimalistic designs sit well among the three hundred year old houses that punctuate the blue shores of the Saint-Laurent River. New houses bring an interesting opinion to the architectural dialogue. After all, architectural heritage is the cultural messenger of a sacred time. It gives our lives meaning rooted in its history because the very essense of architecture preserves the memory of our origins. It's what makes you smile serenely when you drive by ancestral homes as though you recognize a yearning to belong to that history or at least visit it briefly to take it all in. This is not mere nostalgia. It's a beautiful complicity.
Charlevoix's architecture is no exception. For centuries, its distinctive signature communicates a bucolic emotion to the point where we actually come to seek it. Case in point, tourists flock here yearly to visit. Indeed, the land of famous literary characters conjure a deep pride for our French Canadian culture. Former photographic plates show this elegant sea side resort lined with large villas that hosted American presidents, international literati and more than one artist whose brush transposed this majestic landscape for posterity. Today I contemplate these houses as I imagine French Canadian authors Laure Conan or Gabrielle Roy would have while they were here to write 



Clarence A. Gagnon

their famous novels. Or as Clarence A. Gagnon and a whole pleiade of world class artists shared their inspiration with the stroke of a brush and colors that rival any other place on earth. There are days when I think that the light here is unique as the sprawling Laurentian Shield landscape is bathed in the purest hues of blue. It is magical. The generous simplicity of the architecture makes Charlevoix mythical. But what I cherish the most is the traditional rural architecture with its mansard roofs, corbelled barns, colors and textures is that I have the privilege to live among them.


After two years of planning, my husband Pierre, with all the patience of a Benedictine monk, just put the finishing touches on our plans to build our ecohome, a modern farmhouse revival. Its clean lines make it timeless and sit well on our land with its rocky outcrops, rustic apple trees, wild lupins and of course the shoreline. We chose this design as it fuses well into the rural sea side landscape and respects architectural standards required for the privilege of living in a highly popular holiday region.

Needless to say, all of this beauty comes with a moral responsibility. When comes time to manage the
impact of new construction, everything is scrutinized not only environmentally, but also architecturally. The site plan and architectural integration of the East Charlevoix MRC requires owners requesting a building permit to provide a technical description of siding, roofing materials, colors and embelishments. Architectural continuity goes along with current requirements of new building codes. It is a creative dialogue that ensures the architectural and environmental value of each construction project.The first sod turning will be held soon and we have been waiting two years for this day. We are not the only ones. Several observers from professional, industrial or commercial fields are interested in the environmental and energy protocols we have incorporated into its
construction. L'Heure Bleue is recognized by the Canada Green Building Council as a leader in environmentally friendly and energy efficient construction. It is the second residence in Canada and Québec registered for LEED v4  international certification. We will share our experience through this blog with our partners whether in the design, construction, product or service. You can also visit us at the CGBC website. We are featured on their Leaderboard Under
LEED v4.  As mentioned by the CGBC: Canada is a world leader in green building and it has the largest number of LEED certified projects outside the United States. This success is based on innovative Canadian professionals who are always seeking to achieve the highest levels of sustainability in design, construction and operation of buildings. The CBDC mentions L'Heure Bleue among Canada's leaders in sustainable buildings.Building a house is a challenge when targeting international environmental certification. Then again, building a home is something else because you want it to look like you have always belonged there. L'Heure Bleue de Charlevoix will take its place among the other homes along le Chemin du Ruisseau-Jureux, and like a fine wine decanting with anticipation, our little farm house will be up to par, not only on the environmental and energy plan, but for its contribution to Charlevoix rural heritage.