Lapitec Stands Out in ‘Passive House’ in the Canadian Woods
The home of a couple of creatives features a large kitchen area where Lapitec surfaces reference characteristics of the facade.
Nestled among maple and fir trees in the Canadian province of Quebec, Atelier C is the home and studio of a creative couple – she a writer, he a musician photographer – which accommodates traditional living functionality combined with studios that are seamlessly integrated into the space.
The starting point for the building’s development was the owners’ desire to have a single-pitch roof that would define a linear, simple volume, ideally part of the surrounding nature, within which there were for the most part no clear separations. The project designed by Nicholas Francoeur follows this request and associates the diagonal and geometric features of the roof with the idea of an unconventional ‘passive house’ with unique touches.
“From the ceilings at various heights to the music and writing studios conceived as open spaces, almost as passageways, and not as closed rooms,” comments the designer. “To the continuous contrasts of color and material to the bathroom with theatrical lights and a cavernous atmosphere, as if it were a wellness cave — everything in this house is designed to stimulate creativity, but also to give its occupants the impression of being both alone and in company. There is a unique atmosphere.”
Atelier C has an L-shaped floor plan and an essential and pure envelope in its ventilated roof, clad in corrugated sheet metal with an underside in whitened Aspen. The facades are made of charred cedar wood strips that wrap around the volume, punctuated on the north side by narrow vertical glazed openings that seem to create a contemporary and rigorous colonnade, while on the south front the windows are larger to allow natural light into the workspaces. The interiors, meanwhile, are fluidly structured and are light and bright, with the sole exception of the kitchen area which echoes the color scheme of the envelope and features a top in Lapitec sintered stone, a mixture of 100% natural minerals with no resins, inks or petroleum derivatives, and silica free.
The kitchen is the heart of the home and is designed as a large room where base and tall units are arranged on three sides, with a central island dedicated to food preparation and convivial moments. The front panels are made of dark lacquered wood while the top of the different areas is made entirely of Lapitec, in the Nero Antracite shade with Vesuvio finish and in the 12 mm thickness. In this kitchen by Hauteur d’Homme, the sintered stone has been processed and milled to place the washbasin, and thanks to its full-body composition it has the same coloring of the surface along the edge, free of digital prints and nonporous. Other features of Lapitec include its inalterability and resistance to chemicals, shocks, scratches and UV rays. It does not absorb water or liquids, and it prevents the build-up of dirt, mold and bacteria. Lapitec has the NSF/ANSI Std. 51 FOOD ZONE mark, which ensures its effectiveness in kitchen contexts.
About Lapitec
The result of a production process covered by 25 patents, Lapitec is a material used in architecture, interior and product design, made from a mixture of 100% natural mineral materials and free of resins, inks and petroleum derivatives. Entirely free of crystalline silica thanks to the use of Biorite — a mineral component patented by the company, which makes it safe and even more sustainable, Lapitec’s large slabs come in three thicknesses (12, 20 and 30 mm), 16 shades and seven surface finishes.
Lapitec is a full-body sintered stone, identical on the inside and the outside with no enamel or digital printing on the surface, a characteristic that allows it to be processed throughout its thickness, with consistency in appearance and performance. Non-porous on the surface, it is also resistant to temperature changes, frost and high temperatures, UV rays, scratches, chemicals and can be used in direct contact with water. Its high performance, sustainability and availability in XXL sizes make it extremely versatile for use in ventilated facades and roofing, indoor and outdoor horizontal and vertical surfaces, swimming pool cladding and yacht upholstery, and kitchen and table tops.
Lapitec, an entrepreneurial idea of Marcello Toncelli, was founded in Veneto in 1989 after more than twenty years of scientific research, testing and certifications. Today it is present in over 70 countries worldwide with a material that is 100% Made in Italy, beautiful and exclusive, as well as sustainable, both in terms of the raw materials used and the various stages of the production process.
The technology partnership with the parent company Breton, a world-leading manufacturer of systems for the production of stone materials and natural agglomerates, ensures the safety of the production chain, giving life to a product with unique performance qualities. Learn more at www.lapitec.com.
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