Montreal, Quebec
Residential
Built
Situated in the eclectic Marconi-Alexandra neighbourhood, the project takes advantage of unusual urban conditions as a conceptual catalyst. As the Montreal “shoebox” typology slowly disappears to make space for denser multi-storey buildings, preserving the existing one-storey volume of the building — which aligns with others alike along the street — was critical in renewing this form within a rapidly changing urban environment. Framed by bustling garages, active train tracks, and an adjacent laneway, the house becomes a spatial gradient that moderates the moving landscape around the property. The backyard opens itself up to a lush garden and theatrically frames the wild vegetation along the railroad tracks, while the stimuli-filtered interior patio is introverted and devoid of planted vegetation. The interior living spaces are placed on either side of the patio, making it a central node within the home’s daily choreographies. The restrained palette of materials used for the exterior and the interior supports the conceptual clarity of the project while also acknowledging the need for soft-touch gestures in our urban interventions.
Residential
Built
Situated in the eclectic Marconi-Alexandra neighbourhood, the project takes advantage of unusual urban conditions as a conceptual catalyst. As the Montreal “shoebox” typology slowly disappears to make space for denser multi-storey buildings, preserving the existing one-storey volume of the building — which aligns with others alike along the street — was critical in renewing this form within a rapidly changing urban environment. Framed by bustling garages, active train tracks, and an adjacent laneway, the house becomes a spatial gradient that moderates the moving landscape around the property. The backyard opens itself up to a lush garden and theatrically frames the wild vegetation along the railroad tracks, while the stimuli-filtered interior patio is introverted and devoid of planted vegetation. The interior living spaces are placed on either side of the patio, making it a central node within the home’s daily choreographies. The restrained palette of materials used for the exterior and the interior supports the conceptual clarity of the project while also acknowledging the need for soft-touch gestures in our urban interventions.