Architect: Architecture Microclimat

General contractor: Le Pierre rénovation

Square footage: 1600 sq.ft

Project end date: 2019

Photographer: Adrien Williams

Press Distribution: v2com

This is a look at the main entrance of the house with a set of steps leading to the glass doors.

This is an external look at the large glass window that stands out against the brick exterior wall adorned with shrubs and a tree on the side.

This is a closer inspection of the brick wall showing the textured surface.

This is another look at the main entrance of the house featuring the wooden deck steps that stand out against the surrounding metal and glass elements of the house exterior.

This other look of the main entrance shows that the glass door on the side is surrounded by dark gray wall panels.

This is a side view of the main entrance showing the thick shrubs of the front lawn and the brick exterior walls of the second floor.

This is a closer look at the glass door of the main entrance. You can also see here that the wooden deck flooring of the entrance matches with the wooden ceiling.

This is the dining room that has a dark wood dining set that stands out against the white walls and light hardwood flooring topped with a set of decorative lights.

This other view of the dining room shows the large set of glass doors on the far side by the head of the table. This brings in natural lights that brighten the dark dining set.

This is a close look at the window of the living room area that has a built-in bench underneath for a reading nook with a storage for firewood below.

This is the kitchen that has a large wooden kitchen island topped with a row of pendant lights hanging from the white ceiling.

This other look at the kitchen shows the modern cabinetry lining the wall across from the kitchen island, This is paired with a white brick backsplash.

A few steps from the kitchen is this staircase that has wooden steps to match the hardwood flooring. These are then contrasted by the white wooden railings and the red brick wall.

This is a look at the hallway and the white wooden back door at the far end. This door has a glass panel and a transom window that brings in natural lights to brighten the white walls and ceiling.

This is a look at the spacious and airy family room with a comfortable brown sofa across from a waist-high entertainment cabinet on the other side of the room.

This is a closer look at the waist-high entertainment cabinet of the family room with a floating countertop brightened by the white-curtained window on the side.

This is the bathroom that has a white freestanding bathtub to contrast the black flooring tiles and the glass wall of the shower area beside it.

This is a close look at the modern white freestanding sink of the bathroom on a wooden floating vanity. This stands out against the black tiles of the wall with a wall-mounted mirror with wooden frames.

Compact and nestled on a city lot with restrained proportions, including a narrow lateral passage and a small green inner courtyard, the original house presented some challenges for its expansion. Meeting the clients’ desire to connect the indoor spaces to the exterior spaces without losing the home’s existing charm and intimacy would be no small feat. The architectural response thus articulated itself around a balance of old and new with conservation and modernization treatments of the exterior facades and of the home’s interior details.

Delicate intervention

The front facade now presents fine restorative work of its original features, typical of Montreal plexes: ironwork balconies, exterior cornices, and brickwork. Refurbishing these elements reinforced the existing harmony between the house and its immediate surroundings, all while shedding light on their architectural qualities. The back of the home, however, presents a contemporary language that is expressed through the addition of a living room.

This new volume, with proportions that match the scale of the project, allows for an extension of the home without overtaking the courtyard. Where interior meets exterior, this garden room creates a strong visual and physical symbiosis of the two spaces. The articulation of the expansion also introduces a play of intimate terraces on two levels, one that optimizes the dialogue with the landscape while conserving its protection from the outside eye. In this continued spirit of sharing space with the current architecture, the new volume humbly extends onto the lot, adding to the intimacy through the various outdoor areas.

Montreal’s residential heritage

Inside the home, the coexistence of old and new continues courtesy of the restoration and modernization efforts. The intervention first focused on breaking down barriers between rooms to create a fluid layout that better meets the needs of modern-day living. To respect the essence of the home, the staircase, and other key elements such as the massive wooden doors and moldings, the plaster moldings and the cast-iron radiators were restored.

These refurbished features cast a rich and textured backdrop upon which natural and elegant accents of walnut, glass, and crude steel express themselves. The choice of finishings, as well as the scale of the extension, speak to the precision and attention that was brought to each intervention

Through the revaluation of the Montreal residential architectural heritage, this project conveys the relevance of considering conservation work in the broader interest of sustainable development.

About Architecture Microclimat

Established in 2013, Microclimat is a young firm that prides itself on promoting designs built on the cohabitation of architecture and its surrounding environment. Microclimat Architecture was awarded an OAQ award of excellence for the Berri multi-housing project in 2019 and they were among the happy finalists of the Quebec Lab-École competition in 2020, for the Saguenay school board.