The author of the project was Pierre Thibault, known mainly as the author of private houses subtly connected with the surrounding landscape. This approach probably attracted customers. From the architect, they received a building of a traditional plan: a church and a cloister with two-storey buildings located around it. The main materials used - wood and glass - are designed to match the environment - the woodland - and highlight its beauty. Even the eastern wall of the church, instead of the apse, is designed as a 9-meter glass screen: thus, when praying, the monks will turn their gaze to the landscape outside the window, changing during the day and with the changing seasons, which makes you remember pantheism. However, the owners of the Abbey of Val Notre Dame are not embarrassed by this: the extensive use of natural lighting and the close connection between external and internal space seem to them quite appropriate, as they contribute to a contemplative mood.
At the same time, the Cistercians in general and the Trappists, their offshoot with even stricter rules of monastic life (they own Val Notre Dame), in particular, are known for the brevity of the architecture of their abbeys and the rigidity of the charter. If the complex created by Thibault can be called restrained, but in no way strict (his project could have been used almost unchanged for a small hotel outside the city, and this would not surprise anyone), then its very appearance is nevertheless connected with the requirements of the charter. The Trappist monastery existed since the 19th century in the town of Oka, but by the end of the 20th century, the number of monks no longer corresponded to its size (instead of the former 150, only 30 remained), in addition, Oka became a bustling suburb of Montreal, and the Cistercians are required to move away from the world and observe if possible, a vow of silence. As a result, it was decided to move to the town of Saint-Jean-de-Mata. Nevertheless, according to the rules of the order, it is also required to provide hospitality to travelers, therefore, in the new monastery, part of the premises is given under the guest wing. As for the rest, it is separated from the world: the entrance to the inside is protected by a gatehouse located under the "portico" on high supports; laymen easily access only the church, the entrance to which is located outside the complex, but even there, in accordance with tradition, they are separated from the monks.
In addition to the forest around, the monastery has a garden in the cloister, where the vegetation that existed there before the construction is preserved, and landscaped terraces in front of each of the cells located on the second floor. In addition to aesthetic, greenery also plays a practical, ecological role, which is complemented by a geothermal heating system with 14 wells, a rainwater collection and wastewater treatment system, etc.
It should be noted that in recent years it was the Cistercians who established themselves as customers of high-quality modern architecture: in particular, for this order, John Pawson built a wonderful ensemble of the Novi Dvur monastery in the Czech Republic.
