REAL ESTATE PROFILE
A Q&A with architect M.-A. Frappier
The youngest of four children, architect Maxime-Alexis Frappier grew up surrounded by beauty. He recalls his first home in StLambert with its asymmetrical roof and catalpa trees. The front door was a stained-glass creation by renowned Quebec artist, Marcelle Ferron.
By the time Maxime-Alexis was school-age, his family had moved to St-Bruno, where their home was on a stream that led to the Lac du Village. He skated all winter and on summer nights fell asleep to the croaking of bullfrogs. Vacations and weekends were spent at an orchard in Franklin, Que. Maxime-Alexis and his siblings spent carefree days playing, barefoot, in brooks — trampling the mint that grew along the edges, releasing its fragrance.
We met at the office of his recent architectural creation, Sélection Panorama, in Laval.
Do you have a favourite childhood memory?
I have many. My sister is a pianist and was always practising. I would be playing outside, bouncing my ball against a wall. She’d come out and thank me for bouncing with a cadence in sync with her music.
My brothers and I built huge structures out of apple boxes. In winter we made igloos. Crawling inside, I learned about personal space and sound transitions — it was so quiet in there, while the wind howled just inches away.
My dad was an architect and would bring me to his office. I loved looking at the drawings. Each tilted drafting table had an ashtray perched, at an acute angle, with a vertical hill of ashes that seemed to defy gravity.
Did you always want to be an architect?
When I was 12, we moved to Outremont. A turning point occurred in Secondary III, when I began attending Collège Notre-Dame, across from St-Joseph’s Oratory. I must have made a hundred drawings of the structure, transformed.
After high school, I completed the science program at CEGEP Maisonneuve-Rosemont before heading to l’Université de Montréal to study architecture. In my graduating year, 2000, my thesis project was chosen as the school’s submission to Canadian Architecture Magazine’s student competition. I won. It was quite prestigious and felt like the start of something.
What happened after university?
I joined a local firm and worked on large projects in Montreal, Toronto and New York. My English was minimal but evolved quickly.
In 2006, I was approached by three older architects to launch a firm with them. I would be in charge of design. One of our first contracts was a warehouse for a concrete sewer company in StHubert.
A colleague and I put our heads together and a few days later showed the client our drawings. He was stunned and asked: “Is this really for me?” We had designed the building to look like a tube, completely open at one extremity, with a reflecting pool which doubled as a rainwater collector. It won the Governor General’s Award.
Our next project was the expansion of a residence for aging nuns, in Sherbrooke. We used contrast to generate a nurturing sensation by creating a facade exposing the softness of wood, beneath the rough brick.
Can you explain, about contrast?
In architecture, as in everyday life, contrasting colours, shapes and textures are pleasing — like when you cut into an apple and see the white flesh. One great example of contrast in design is Louboutin shoes; observers hold our breath until we catch a glimpse of the shiny red soles, which have become synonymous with the brand.
When designing the Centre D’Art Diane Dufresne in Repentigny, we juxtaposed sharp-edged stainless steel with water, to create drama.
Tell me about Réseau Sélection Panorama.
When creating a highrise, there are three scales to consider: how it looks from a distance, interplay with its immediate surroundings, and how it is perceived by pedestrians. Sélection Panorama is an exquisite 30-storey structure on the riverfront in Ste-Dorothée. The reflection in the water accentuates its height and beauty. Panorama is Canada’s tallest residential structure for seniors.
What puts the spring in your step?
Tons of energy and emotion go into each of our projects. When the final product is delivered, it feels like we are launching a cherished child into the world. Each new assignment begins with a white page — it’s both exciting and daunting. We must satisfy our client’s needs, on budget, while telling a story. These are some of the daily challenges that drive me.
What do you enjoy when you are not working?
My wife, our two sons and I are avid skiers. We spend quality time together up north. Skiing clears my mind. Every summer I take three weeks off and relax at home.
It may sound ironic but the No. 1 item on my to-do list is to practise mindfulness — to slow down and enjoy more of life’s precious moments which can slip by.
Perhaps the aroma of mint would help.