Lac Supérieur, October 8, 2013 – Fraternité-sur-Lac is proud to announce preliminary details and share inaugural images of SPAHAUS, a project of 26 contemporary chalets designed by YH2 Architecture. Taken aback by the site’s remarkable location and the developer’s vision, the Montreal architectural design firm – renowned for its work both at home and abroad over the past fifteen years – agreed to apply its creative know-how to a real estate project for the first time in its history. Fraternité-sur-Lac dévoile SPAHAUS, projet de 26 chalets contemporains situés à Lac-Supérieur (Mont-Tremblant), disponibles dès 2014

Adaptable according to the number of bedrooms and the optional inclusion of a spa and sauna, SPAHAUS democratizes access to contemporary, imaginative architectural design that’s in keeping with the Lac Supérieur environment, located 10 minutes away from the Mont-Tremblant ski station’s northern slope and the Mont-Tremblant National Park. “With SPAHAUS, we want to allow future buyers to set up home in an architectural residence that’s both creative and functional, but above all, that is affordable and only available in a limited supply,” says project developer Michel Beaulieu. “In that sense, we consider ourselves privileged to have convinced YH2 to dream up these contemporary, luxurious spaces, designed while keeping nature and the values of Fraternité-sur-Lac in mind.”

YH2 – Quality in Limited Quantity “It took many months of hard work, observation and fleshing out numerous proposals before settling on the final SPAHAUS concept – buildings that provide the intimacy and connection to nature that one would expect of a home spa,” recalls architect Loukas Yiacouvakis, a YH2 partner along with Marie-Claude Hamelin. SPAHAUS is made up of 26 chalets laid out to blend into the natural undulating contours of the site, and positioned in such a way as to mask the other chalets’ construction. Built using a combination of concrete and wood, the units’ large window design provides an optimal amount of light and a stunning vista of the natural surroundings, in the spirit of contemporary Scandinavian design.

On the ground floor, each chalet has a large rectangular space comprised of the living room and the spa, on top of which rests a small wooden cottage, designed with one or two bedrooms. The integration of the ground floor into the land’s natural slope renders the building’s concrete foundation practically invisible to the other cottages. From the site, all that’s visible are the 26 small wooden houses resting on flat roof patios, made up of minerals and plants – these gardens of lush greenery boast heart-stopping vistas of the forest, leading to the lake below. “We’ve created 26 human-scale spaces, which are agreeable to live in and take us back to the essence of what a chalet ought to be: a place for replenishing and becoming one with nature, a welcoming environment where one feels at ease with oneself and others,” adds Loukas Yiacouvakis.

A Global Investment of $80 Million With SPAHAUS, the Fraternité-sur-Lac developers strengthen the area’s positioning as the Laurentians’ economic hub, more specifically in the Lac Supérieur municipality. SPAHAUS is the latest gem in the Fraternité-sur-Lac resort undertaking, which will eventually add up to a total investment of some $80 million, which includes: the Club de la Pointe development; a 100,000 square-foot playground on the shores of Lac Supérieur that’s reserved exclusively for residents; a bucolic, country-inspired centre; a general store featuring an SAQ space; a full slate of hospitality infrastructure (reception desk and check-in, restaurants), and the Rivière Verte pedestrian trail, which covers the project’s entire perimeter. “In 2005, we acquired the site on impulse, euthusiastic at the thought of converting it into an exclusive, authentic destination,” remarks Michel Beaulieu. “With SPAHAUS, we wish to break down the simplistic dichotomy that sets bustling city life and tranquil, rural locales at loggerheads. We’re speaking to buyers for whom both of those realities are intertwined, people who enjoy spending quality time and taking full advantage of outdoor activities offered on-site and in the surrounding area. On the business front, while certain projects have experienced slowdowns, we’ve successfully adapted to the economic climate, finding buyers for the first slate of 25 luxury log chalets built in the mountains, as well as selling the near totality of our 72 Suites-sur-Lac. Our vision and efforts hinge on the time we allow ourselves to refine the projets, in order to better protect and enchance the value of the site and its exceptional qualities.”

Lac Supérieur and Club de la Pointe: A Gem of Serenity “We’re smack dab in the middle of Quebec’s largest playground combining sports, leisure activities and culture. One can practice just about every activity under the sun!,” stresses Michel Beaulieu. It’s with that mindset that the Club de la Pointe saw the light of day. The offer is entirely in sync with its environment, combining an outdoor experience with infrastructures intended to foster relaxation. “The Club de la Pointe provides, among other things, access to Lac Supérieur for swimming, tennis, a pool, kayaks, a yacht club, petanque, a yoga centre, a fitness room (spinning bikes, elliptical and TRX machines) and fire pits. Come winter, residents can revel in the snowy landscape with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing as well as skating or broomball on an ice ring,” adds Beaulieu. As a reminder, Lac Supérieur is a non-motorized lake, which affords residents unusual tranquility.

Hassle-Free, Purchase-for-Rental Option “People are sometimes hesitant to purchase a chalet due to all the maintenance involved versus the amount of time they’ll have to enjoy it. In this case, owners don’t have to mow the lawn on Saturday morning before kayaking or clear the snow on Friday night after skiing. They can relax as they would at a hotel, in an environment and a natural playground that belongs to them, and which generates income,” explains Michel Beaulieu. In fact, SPAHAUS offers owners the possibility of earning a return on their investment with the purchase-for-rental option. The owner blocks off his occupancy dates, after which Côté Nord, Fraternité’s rental branch, handles reservations, reception and cleaning services.

Partnership with Maison Corbeil Another noteworthy innovation: Fraternité-sur-Lac and Maison Corbeil announce a partnership that will grant the buyer(s) of one of the 26 SPAHAUS units a whole range of benefits and furniture specifically tailored and selected by the YH2 teams of Fraternité-sur-Lac and Maison Corbeil. “We’re proud of our association with Fraternité, with whom we share not only a community of clients, but also, more importantly, a vision, a number of affinities and a joint commitment to making both quality and luxury accessible,” comments Maison Corbeil co-president Éric Corbeil.

On the banks of Lac Supérieur, just 90 minutes north of Montreal (Quebec), a mountain that was once the property of a former religious congregation now houses a creative and innovative model for integrating contemporary architecture in a natural environment.

Located on the north side of the Mont-Tremblant ski resort, in the Laurentians touristic region, the Fraternité-sur-Lac resort site values human experience above all else. In 2012, its developers entrusted Montreal studio YH2 with the challenge of creating a series of modern residences that would be integrated to the natural environment – hence targeting a new generation of homeowners who are sensitive to design, architecture and new standards with regards to interior and exterior developments. This approach marks a clear shift away from traditional log lodges, the mythical Canadian cabin or plywood-heavy alpine cottages surrounded by boutiques. By signing on to a real estate project for the very first time, the YH2 team first conceived Spahaus, which focuses on horizontal housing, a marriage of wood and concrete, panoramic vistas and an outdoor spa. A series of Trihaus – a big brother to Spahaus – then rapidly followed, with its three-storey vertical design overlooking a terrace, providing owners with the feeling of living amidst the trees. This cluster of secondary homes aims to preserve the site’s natural state, including the original trees, a river and trails leading to Lac Supérieur and the Club de la Pointe, an open-air playground laid out on the shores of the aforementioned lake, where motorized vessels are forbidden. Democratizing architecture Since setting up shop in Montreal’s Little Italy neighbourhood nearly 20 years ago, Loukas Yiacouvakis and Marie-Claude Hamelin have given life to many distinctive residential and commercial projects that have attracted attention both in Canada and around the world. For Yiacouvakis, his team’s utmost priority is to democratize access to architecture. “I believe it is in everyone’s best interest to democratize the work we carry out,” he explains. “We aim to deliver carefully thought-out residences, but even more importantly, to send out a clear message that architecture doesn’t merely cater to a privileged minority.” Therefore, YH2 is always on the hunt for the best playing surface in a natural environment where it can integrate projects that are inspiring, functional and affordable. “I believe that a secondary residence should allow for a deep-rooted connection with nature and the surrounding landscapes, all the while offering a living space wherein one feels entirely comfortable with oneself and with others,” Yiacouvakis points out. The ready-to-live in the mountains YH2 and Fraternité-sur-Lac’s concerted vision translated into an approach Yiacouvakis describes as “ready-to-live”, comparable to the ready-to-wear lines devised in the 1960s by haute couture fashion houses. “Until now, our practice has mainly been dedicated to architectural design for specific clients – custom-built homes that can pride themselves on a privileged rapport with the natural environment they integrate. With the Spahaus and Trihaus projects, we are working in collaboration with Fraternité developers to establish an assortment of properties in nature that are flexible and maintenance-free. This collection of residences was designed for this particular mountain site, by rolling out a variety of different models that serve as a bona fide, alfresco art collection.” This approach is not to be confused with factory-built housing, which may be attractive to some, but is conceived without regard to ground unevenness, natural layout, vistas or the alignment of developments with human experience. “To us, factory-built housing has no place in nature, given that the proposition wholly ignores the land on which it is built. The construction of a factory-built home requires significant deforestation just to set up the different prefabricated elements, delivered by way of heavy machinery, rendering the possibility of an intimate rapport between architecture and nature impossible,” Yiacouvakis explains. As a further illustration of this point, Spahaus units blend into the naturally undulating contours of the mountain, with each residence positioned to keep other chalets out of sight, as if they were laid out on the steps of a staircase. With a large window design in front, the ground floor’s concrete structure welcomes a wooden playhouse (that can accommodate a green terrace), which constitutes an additional room on the second floor. What we’re witnessing here is the merging of the “tiny house” with the thinking that goes into a modern, functional space. Inaugurated in the spring of 2015, these 21 Spahaus units have nearly all found takers already, while the Trihaus generate a similar brand of enthusiasm.

An $80 million investment in nature Having grown organically since 2005, Fraternité-sur-Lac constitutes an economic hub in the Laurentians, with a long-term total investment of $80 million, including: the layout of the Club de la Pointe (a 100,000 sq. ft. playground bordering on the lake and reserved exclusively for residents), a village-inspired centre, a general store including reception and restaurant facilities as well as a hiking trail in the forest. On the whole, the project was imagined as a way to optimize and cultivate the sense of intimacy between residences and residents. The Club de la Pointe offers, among other things, access to Lac Supérieur for swimming, tennis courts, a pool, kayaks, a pétanque area, a yoga space, a gym and outdoor fireplaces. Come winter, residents take part in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, as well as skating and broomball on an ice rink set up on the lake. Less than 15 minutes away, residents reach Mont-Tremblant National Park, one of Canada’s most prestigious ski centres, as well as many golf courses. Unlike the typical approach of conceiving and marketing real estate projects, Fraternité-sur-Lac wants to steer clear of simplistic dichotomies between the urban bustle and peaceful rural life, by reaching out to a community of buyers who see both of these realities positively and who seek to balance both harmoniously instead of pitting one against the other.