(Cap-à-l’Aigle) Hundreds of millions of years ago, a meteorite hit Quebec hard, sculpting the jagged landscape of Charlevoix in the process. Around the rim of the newly formed crater, a terraced landscape has emerged. It is on these promontories of La Malbaie that Teracea is located, on the mountainside from where the estate enjoys an incomparable view of the river and the surrounding area.
To the luxurious villas of Teracea – many of which are signed by renowned architects in Quebec – is added this summer Le Hameau, a sector made up of common areas and maisonettes where you can relax as a couple or alone.
The new leisure area is intended for all occupants of Teracea, including owners and tenants of luxury homes, located in Cap-à-l’Aigle. It includes a large swimming pool, a tennis court and a community hall which complete an area designed as a small resort village with a unique contemporary signature. All the buildings and installations, without exception, offer a 180 degree panorama on a river that opens to infinity.
Rustic and refined, but very cosy, the cabins blend into the environment thanks to a covering of stacked logs which gives them an unusual look. We find the same wood accents inside, where this coquetry injects a beautiful warmth into the decor.
These small houses are positioned in such a way as to offer complete privacy. You will have the impression of being alone in the world in these cocoons, despite the presence of neighbors and the fact that a facade, facing the river, is entirely glazed.
The “boredom” is that we may hesitate to leave this perfect retreat of Cap-à-l’Aigle to discover the region, go sea kayaking, explore the slopes of Mont Grand-Fonds, walk on the beach or in the pedestrian paths… It is a risk that we will want to take.
The pool – what pool? – is subtly concealed in the environment. You have to take the turret and go down several steps to reach it. From the entrance gate, the surprise reaction is spontaneous. The perspective is unexpected: the water basin is surrounded by reclaimed wood cubicles where you can indulge in idleness in complete docility. In one corner, a large fireplace warms the atmosphere in the evening.
The place embodies a Nordic exoticism that is neither cold nor harsh. On the contrary, you will laze there like in an all-inclusive, marinating in the swimming pool while being dazzled by such a perspective on the jewel of the province.
Higher up, sports fans exchange the ball on a large tennis court. Not far away, a community barbecue area and covered outdoor lounges are available to customers in front of La Commune. This barn-like building evokes the place where, in the past, the peasants met at the edge of the stream to water the cattle, says entrepreneur Alain Rajotte, one of the two promoters at the head of Teracea. The place houses an event room with a friendly decor, which will open its doors to business groups in the fall.
Teracea’s story begins in 2005. Alain Rajotte renovates and builds buildings in the metropolis with his business partner, Florent Moser. However, he dreams of exile. “I thought to myself, what if we built houses in the woods? “The idea pleases. The tandem begins to explore the area. On a whim, he gets his hands on a first piece of land of 45 acres in Saint-Fidèle and builds three houses there with the idea of renting them. The concept attracts attention.
Two years later, he acquired a woodlot four times larger in Cap-à-l’Aigle to turn it into a real estate project: the team sold plots of land and offered the construction and rental service future architectural villas, as well as their maintenance: an almost turnkey solution for customers mainly from metropolitan France.
A first house, Le Phare, designed by the Montreal firm Mu architecture, was built in 2010. This luxury refuge, which lives up to its name, will set the direction for the rest of the project.
“Sixteen large houses are now for rent there, a third of which belong to the developers of Teracea and the rest to private individuals”, adds the latter.
Alain Rajotte has since made the leap from the city to the mountains. The city dweller has become a resident and has found happiness 400 km from home. “I have always needed nature. Here, it’s the forest, the mountains, the sea. There are beautiful corners around Montreal, but the river… the river! A look away at the blue of the horizon is enough to convince that it is useless to add words: the river, yes…
