Site Size: 3,750 square feet

Project Size: 2,970 square feet (existing building), 540 square feet (addition)

Program: A couple with an interest in contemporary architecture wanted to update a 1940s duplex and replace a previous, poorly constructed extension added in the 1950s.

Location: The house is located on Berri Street in Villeray, a residential neighborhood in north-central Montreal.

Solution: The three-story addition'a wood facade interrupted with bands of glazing'is located at the back of the house. The architects replaced aging, double-sash windows with floor-to-ceiling glass panels that maximize southern light exposure. They also inserted a cantilevered, zinc-coated steel balcony on the west elevation.

The main living spaces are located at the back of the addition. The new dining room opens off the remodeled kitchen on the ground floor, while a new master bedroom in the basement connects to a sunken garden. A second apartment occupies the third level, which was similarly renovated to include a south-facing dining room.

Construction methods: The architects razed the previous extension and built the new structure on the same footprint. The wood-frame addition, clad in pine planks, is finished with an olive green stain.

Architect:
Naturehumaine
305 de Bellechasse, Suite 308
Montr'al (Qu'bec) H2S 1W9
T. 514.273.6316