The Aubé House is a Maison des Patriotes dating back to 1811. It sits within a vast garden along the banks of the Rivière des Mille Îles, once part of extensive agricultural lands. This heritage home has been inhabited by the same family for decades, and as the family grew over the years, the large garden gradually became the setting for a multigenerational architectural story.

Around the historic house, the residence of artist Geneviève Jost was first built — what would become “The First House”. Her eldest daughter later took possession of the ancestral home, and the large

garden became witness to a series of additions and transformations. The house underwent several modifications to meet the needs of its occupants, but without a comprehensive architectural vision

surrounding this singular ancestral building.

Long committed to the preservation of the Aubé House, the owners ultimately wished to give it new life by returning it to its original state, while expanding the welcoming capacity of this family home. Exterior restoration, a complete interior reconfiguration, and the addition of a contemporary extension mark the beginning of this new chapter.

The intervention primarily aims to restore the house’s original authenticity, while responding to contemporary needs. The objective is to establish a harmonious dialogue between past and present,

highlighting the historic building in relation to a contemporary addition.

The ancestral home

The exterior architecture of the house is restored with a rigorous commitment to preserving its historic character through: 

• Demolition of the existing addition: The extension previously attached to the original structure was removed in order to recover the purity of the original form.
• Replacement of windows, frames, and mouldings: Doors and windows have been replaced with double-glazed models, subdivided into multiple panes to reproduce the appearance of the original openings.
• Removal of skylights and restoration of the original cedar shingle roof.  

The interior design highlights the characteristic elements of the period while subtly integrating contemporary interventions:

• Exposed timber frame: Revealing the structure allows these architectural details to be celebrated. Portions damaged by time have been restored to the original, sometimes with newly expressed junctions that allow the old and the new to coexist.
• The fireplace: Positioned within the new double-height space, the fireplace regains its central role as the heart of the living area, while reinforcing the verticality of the space.
• Stone walls: Carefully restored, they reveal the raw and authentic material of the period.
• Enhancement of existing elements: The intervention favours a minimalist approach, introducing limited new materials and instead encouraging a dialogue between historic elements and contemporary insertions.

The architecture is reinterpreted to respond to the owners’ needs while preserving its essence:

• Evolution without distortion: The intervention follows a long-term vision that recognizes the heritage and environmental value of the building.
  
• Creation of a double-height space: This new volume allows for an enriched reading of the timber structure, while organizing its spaces within the large square volume that contains the kitchen, dining room, and living room.
• A discreet staircase: Located behind the kitchen, it leads to a multifunctional space accommodating offices, a library, and a playroom. The space remains sober, with the exposed timber frame becoming its defining feature and architectural focal point
  
  

Connection between the ancestral home and the extension

The connecting passage establishes a discreet relationship between the two volumes, while respecting architectural continuity and the independence of each structure:

• Exterior view: The glazed connection visually dissolves into the landscape, creating a sense of fusion between the built form and the surrounding nature. Reflections of trees and the environment blur the perception of the constructed volume.
• Interior view: The passage moves through the landscape and acts as a transitional space between the distinct atmospheres of the two buildings.
  
  

The extension and its landscape integration

The intentionally discreet extension nestles among the mature trees of the garden, respecting the surrounding nature and consciously integrating into the site:

• Expansion and contraction: The building's volume adapts to preserve the existing trees, with each space shaped around nature. This dictates the sequence of spaces and their relationship to the site.
• Selected materials: Cedar stained with an ebony colour, black-stained wooden windows, and a river-pebble roof ensure the extension's seamless integration into the landscape.
• Interior atmosphere: The continuity of materials between the interior and exterior reinforces the extension's hushed and intimate atmosphere. The windows play a crucial role, framing the exterior vistas like living paintings and offering views of the ancestral home, the water's edge, and the surrounding trees.
• Exposed joists and ceiling: In response to the expressed timber frame of the original Aubé House, the extension features exposed joists and black-stained wooden planks on the ceiling, creating a rhythmic pattern within the space and guiding evening movement to the sleeping quarters.

The central corridor of the extension is organized around ramps that follow the natural slope of the land. This passageway leads to the bedrooms, bathroom, office, and gym, culminating in the master bedroom, which completes the journey.

• The master bedroom opens to expansive outdoor views. Being slightly advanced and separate from the ancestral building, it enjoys a sense of privacy despite the presence of numerous windows. Natural light, filtered through the trees, creates plays of light and shadow throughout the room, enlivening the space.

Through this intervention, the house finds itself at the heart of an organic and harmonious whole. This project is a dialogue between past and present that transcends generations. Thus, the house has been transformed into a place of convergence, the center of a shared life that unites four generations. Today, three buildings share this large garden, each contributing its own unique story to the site's history.

The garden, as the backdrop to this evolution, becomes a catalyst for intergenerational relationships; a place for gathering, but also for intimacy. Every space, whether indoors or outdoors, bears the mark of this interplay between heritage and modernity. The buildings together form a coherent whole, where each element finds its place while contributing to the collective identity of the site. The dialogue between the original structure and the contemporary additions is not merely a matter of form, but a genuine commitment to preserving the site's heritage, while ensuring its longevity.

The ancestral home, far from remaining frozen in time, becomes a repository of memory — the memory of a place that is constantly being written, reinvented, and passed on.