Hasta La Ideas

La Shed Architecture has renovated an old residence in a Montreal neighbourhood, adding a roof terrace flanked by corrugated metal and a bright red-orange staircase (+ slideshow).

Canadian studio La Shed carried out significant remodelling works to Maison de Gaspé, a two-storey home and garage in the district of Villeray to create a home for a couple and their two young children.

According to the architects, the house had undergone several transformations and fragmentations since it was first built, losing many of its original characteristics.

Because of this, a completely new aesthetic was chosen for the exterior, reuniting annexes under a cladding of dark red brickwork and corrugated steel sheeting.

“The facade went through a variety of transformations over time that made restoration impossible,” explained the architects.

“We chose to create a contemporary facade that would seamlessly integrate with the surrounding housing stock.”

To reconcile the old and new parts of the property with the local architectural typology, textured brickwork and blackened timber were added at the front of the house in keeping with neighbouring properties, while more modern and industrial materials were used to the rear.

“Relief work on the brick crowning alluded, in a modern manner, to the traditional masonry ornaments typical of the surrounding area,” the studio explained.

Glass sliding doors open onto a patch of pale timber decking in the back garden, which is overlooked by large windows set into the galvanised steel cladding of the upper storey. A chunk of this first-floor volume was removed to create a rooftop patio above the garage.

The single-height garage was clad in planks of pale timber to match the decking. This cladding material continues beyond the property’s glass doors to define an interior entrance to the garage.

“This removal allowed for an alleviation of the building’s density in relation to the backyard, while providing the garden with further natural light and a more open line of sight,” said the architects.

Inside, the spaces are finished with pale wooden floors and white walls.

Two islands with stainless steel tops sit parallel sit in the kitchen segment of the open-plan living area. One provides a work surface, while the other features a sunken sink and hob.

Spotlights and sliding doors are fixed onto ceiling runners, allowing the two spaces to be separated, and pantry storage and an oven are recessed into a white wall that separates the kitchen from a playroom.

In the play area a tiny door with a house-shaped profile opens into a cavity behind a chalkboard wall, providing a hideaway and playhouse for the family’s two children.

A bookcase made from slats of pale timber runs up one side of the double-height living space. The bright red-orange treads of a staircase rise to one side before the flight turns 90 degrees and disappears behind the cover of the bookshelf.

Upstairs, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study with an adjoining terrace are arranged around the atrium and separated by sliding doors.

The bathrooms features glass shower screens and are covered in tiny monochrome hexagonal and square tiles.

“The black hexagonal mosaic floor as well as solid wood horizontal surfaces act as contrasting elements in relation to the omnipresent whiteness of the bathroom,” said the architects.

A fence-like structure made from pale timber closes the study from the atrium, while from below the flatted structure allows the occupants views of the office above.

Beyond the office area, doors open onto the roof terrace. A slim room at the end of the patio provides a storage space and acts as a screen from neighbours.

Photography is by Maxime Brouillet.

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