Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

This Saltbox House Was Inspired by a Family’s Favorite Barbecue Grill

This Saltbox House Was Inspired by a Family’s Favorite Barbecue Grill

In designing a home to the highest standards of sustainability, Montreal firm L’Abri looked to the best qualities of a family’s prized grill: modesty, efficiency, and durability.

In Bromont, Quebec, this white-washed home’s simple appearance belies the complex sustainability features contained within. The New England–style structure, with its traditional saltbox roof, was constructed to attain Passive House certification, a global standard of excellence in sustainable architecture.



The concept for the dwelling began with the clients’ somewhat vague and deceptively simple request to "build the best house possible." Canadian firm L’Abri’s interpretation was to craft a home that would consume minimal energy through its entire lifecycle, an idea inspired by an oddly specific object: an outdoor barbecue grill.



"Our favorite anecdote about the clients is that when we first met, they described their desired house as similar to a grill they had owned for several years," says lead architect Francis Martel Labrecque. "Sturdy, not too big, and very efficient."

With this residential recipe in hand, the architects devised a plan for the client couple and their two children. The home is distributed across three levels and nestles into a gently sloping hill so as to minimize visibility of the retaining walls built of locally excavated stone. The home’s L-shape creates a sheltered outdoor garden area, its orientation maximizing sunlight. "The house faces south to favor passive solar heating, and embrace panoramic views over the valley," says Labrecque.



The saltbox roof is a tip of the cap to both the built heritage of nearby New England and the Estrie region, but it also helps with privacy. "The roof slope follows the topography of the place, helping the home remain discreet from the street," say the architects.



Ultimately, the design was dictated by the project’s rigorous energy goals. "All of our design decisions were first validated by performing an energy model of the building," explains Labrecque. "This steered us toward a double-stud structure for the insulation of the above-ground walls, and triple-glazed UPVC windows." (For the uninitiated, windows that are durable, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly.) "We also reduced the carbon footprint by using materials like wood siding and cellulose insulation."



For the architects, the home demonstrates a new standard in sustainable design. Since being built, it has earned both LEED Platinum and Passive House certifications. "We want to design better buildings that we’ll be proud of for years to come," says Labrecque. "This project confirmed to us that a building can be aesthetic, in harmony with its environment, and extremely efficient."


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×