Developed by ACDF Architecture and Maître Carré, MELLEM Les Trembles is shaped by an art of balance — an architectural dosage rooted in restraint, clarity, and purpose.

In response to environmental pressures and limited resources, the project embraces doing more with less. Architecture here is economical yet expressive, where each gesture is intentional and measured.

The project carefully balances restraint and richness, efficiency and comfort, longevity and spatial generosity. This equilibrium is felt not only in its architectural language, but in the calm, grounded experience of its spaces.

Comprising 189 rental units, MELLEM Les Trembles reimagines multifamily living by placing most shared amenities on the ground floor. Rather than turning inward, the building engages the city, positioning architecture as a catalyst for community.

Collective spaces at street level form a porous, welcoming edge that contributes to the public realm and fosters belonging. This ambition is expressed through a defining architectural gesture: a series of ground-floor arches that anchor the building while shaping a human-scaled interior environment.

Reinterpreting the classical colonnade, the arches express rootedness and permanence through a quiet elegance — precise, expressive, and restrained.

Fluid curves extend the arched geometry upward, while red and white brick articulate the massing with subtle rhythm. Staggered balconies and deepened façades animate the building, asserting an urban presence without sacrificing intimacy at street level.

Inside, arches organize communal spaces along a linear promenade connecting co-working, kitchen, and fitness areas. Light walls, darker ceilings, and exposed systems create interiors that feel warm, efficient, and carefully calibrated.

Organized around a west-facing garden, the C-shaped building achieves meaningful density without excessive height. By aligning architectural clarity with financial efficiency, the project reinvests in durability, shared spaces, and long-term community value.

With its welcoming arches, fluid forms, and civic-minded ground floor, MELLEM Les Trembles offers a considered model for contemporary urban living — collective, restrained, and enduring — enriching Gatineau’s architectural landscape.

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