INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION
When Luc Bourdages moved from the Laurentians back to his hometown of Montreal in 1999, the real-estate development and construction entrepreneur found an ideal home and business opportunity in an old factory building in Villeray.
He initially looked at a structure set to be demolished, but the building across the street caught his eye. Formerly the home of Dominion Preserving Co., a.k.a. “The Home of Habitant Soups,” the industrial space looked like a perfect spot for his plan to create loft-style apartments, which was then a relatively new concept.
By the time Bourdages came along, the factory was making clothing but had retained the architectural details — high ceilings, exposed metal piping, big windows — he was looking for. He gradually transformed it into a complex of 13 condos that featured a communal pool in the centre and a gated courtyard.
Bourdages and his wife, Suzanne Albert, kept one unit for themselves, which has 2,000 square feet of living space, including one large, open living/ dining area and bathroom. The second floor features a huge open bedroom (with a soaking bath and shower) with lots of closet space and a small balcony.
Q You were mentioning that this was the last big project you undertook before you decided to sell your company? A As I was getting older, I realized I no longer wanted to manage lots of staff. I had back problems and we had over 40 employees. I’m still in the real-estate development business, but nowadays Suzanne and I look out for smaller properties — duplexes and so — which we can upgrade and rent out.
Q Income-producing properties, in other words? A Exactly. That has given us more time to do things that we enjoy, like travelling.
Q So tell me how you went about creating your own condo? It seems you’re something of a designer, as well as a developer? A (Laughs.) Well, I like to try out new ideas. (The interior is a symphony of stainless steel. It covers practically every surface in the kitchen area but is relieved by stippled, caramel-covered walls and matching ceramic flooring. On a wall near the front door are three, tall frosted glass panels, over which water trickles into a bed of pebbles.)
Q Is this one of your inventions?
A This is my waterfall! I love the sound of trickling water. It took some time to get the pressure just right so the water didn’t fall all over the floor. It was a question of trial and error.
Q And this large metal compass suspended from the ceiling?
A That was trial and error also. It’s made of steel and the first time I finished it, the metal turned rusty, so I had to redo the surface. (In the kitchen, which is Albert’s work area — she loves to cook — Bourdages shows me more of his inventions. Under the windows, he has created two rotating platforms based on the principles of a Lazy Susan, on which are arranged food processors, coffee machines, a juicer, a toaster — in other words, the tools of a chef ’s trade, which Albert can whiz around when she’s preparing a meal.)
Q These are ingenious! What else have you invented?
A Lots of things. The stairway to the second floor and the basement garage, for example, is made from one concrete mould. I installed a mirror at the top so that the stairs didn’t look so dark and solid.
Q You fooled me. I thought that was a window!
A I’ll show you how I solved the problem of installing a door between the stairway and the upstairs bedroom. As you can see, the top is an awkward shape. A regular door wouldn’t fit the opening.
Q Goodness, is that a metal garage door? The type that you can roll up and down?
A Exactly. It was the perfect solution!
Q I guess converting a factory space into a home comes with its own set of challenges?
A It does, but there’s always a way to solve problems. One of the things we plan to do is to clad some of the stainless steel cabinets with the kind of plastic wrapping used by auto manufacturers. We like the look of stainless steel but we didn’t realize how much it eats up the light. Our living area is a bit too dark for our liking, so we hope to rectify that. You could say our condo is still a work in progress!