Anne Carrier architecture

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

VISITOR CENTER FOR SEIGNEURIE-DES-AULNAIES

Anne Carrier Architecture

ARCHITECTS
Anne Carrier Architecture: Anne Carrier (Lead Architect) , Robert Boily (B.arch./ B.sc.a.), Patricia Pronovost (Architect)

CIVIL ENGINEERING
Douglas Consultants

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Construction Citadelle Inc.

CLIENT
M. Réal Perron, Dominique Garon

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Groupe Conseil Méconair Ltée

STRUCTURAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERS
Douglas Consultants

MANUFACTURERS
Multiver, Prevost, Soprema, Solider Inc

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Douglas Consultants

DESIGNERS
Anne Carrier (Lead Architect) , Robert Boily (B.arch./ B.sc.a.), Patricia Pronovost (Architect)

AREA
150 M²

YEAR
2015

LOCATION
Saint-roch-des-aulnaies, Canada

CATEGORY
Visitor Center

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

Text description provided by architect.

The concept for the siting and construction of the new visitor center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies, a registered Quebec cultural heritage site, is grounded in the characteristic elements of the surrounding landscape: the river, bridges, forest and stone buildings.

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

The architects opted for a Land Art approach, focusing on natural settings and materials. The aim was to make the new building as discreet as possible and showcase the site’s most interesting landscape and heritage features.

The resulting pavilion takes advantage of the site’s slope: the building “melts” into it, minimizing its visual impact on the site and allowing for universal accessibility.

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

Stone is the project’s dominant source of inspiration. It is found on the site in every form: as a retaining wall, piled on the riverbank, and hewn for use on the mill’s exterior. This natural raw material appears in the new pavilion as a gabion wall.

Meanwhile, the building’s green roof suggests an exposed stratum of the underlying ground and emphasizes the idea of landscape-focused architecture by blurring all references to buildings. The interior spaces are organized longitudinally, following the roofline.

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

As the gateway to the historic Seigneurie site, the new pavilion is used for welcoming visitors and controlling site access, while giving visitors an overview of different ways to explore the site.

The first volume, in wood and stone, is used for services, while the second volume, finished in glass, opens on the landscape and provides a “frame” for looking at the mill and its activities.

Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau

The gap between the two volumes provides a view of the river side of the landscape. On the street side, the gabion wall guides pedestrians toward the entrance, characterized by a picture window and a thin awning attached to the building.

The awning provides shelter for guided activities or contemplation; it is also designed to steer the visitor toward the wooden walkway leading to the manor house. The project, executed on a very tight budget, reflects a contemporary approach to integrating a new structure into a sensitive location, where the top priorities were to highlight historic architecture and landscape heritage.

By minimizing the environmental and visual impact of the pavilion, the architects showed a high degree of sensitivity to the rich natural setting. In addition to the challenge of integration with the surroundings, there was also a need to address the social acceptability of the project – a challenge successfully met thanks to an actively involved client open to new ideas and passionate about the Seigneurie des Aulnaies.


Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
© Stéphane Groleau


Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
Masterplan
Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
Floor Plan


Visitor Center for Seigneurie-des-Aulnaies
Section + Elevation

Anne Carrier architecture
T +1 418 8351533 F +1 418 8351444
Anne Carrier architecture
55 Av. Bégin, Lévis, QC G6V 4C3, Canada