House Ecores

Context

Built in 1931 in the Villeray district of Montreal, this duplex has undergone a major transformation into a contemporary single-family residence.

The concept

The existing street facade of the building has been refreshed by replacing the doors and windows, in keeping with its period style. Major modifications to the volumetry have been made to the existing building in order to be able to properly arrange the living spaces and provide the desired number of bedrooms. We discover these transformations, hidden behind the facade, as we enter the building. The basement was excavated in order to obtain a full habitable height. An addition to the rear of the land has increased the living area and the creation of a lean-to now gives access to a new roof terrace.

Constructive issues

The major renovation and the change in volumetry of the building led to several technical design and construction challenges. Under the existing, shallow foundations, new underpinning foundations were built. It was necessary to demolish a side wall to rebuild it set back from the new limits of the land because of a cadastral operation constraint. The expansion of the building will have required the complete demolition of the rear wall. Temporary props had to be put in place to support the preserved floors and roof during the reconstruction of the exterior walls, while preserving the front facade.

The role of light

We designed the new rear façade by incorporating large windows. The rooms at the back thus face the courtyard and a green alley and benefit from the morning sunshine. A generous skylight has been integrated in the center of the building with the aim of increasing natural lighting in the heart of the house, directly above the double-height kitchen. The light therefore penetrates abundantly through the roof and is diffused to the ground floor by the central staircase, the position of which makes it possible to optimize the daily movements of the occupants.

The layout of spaces

We have grouped the living rooms in the basement and on the ground floor, where activity and noise levels are higher, in order to separate them from the rest areas located upstairs. There is a huge game room in the basement and a large open area on the ground floor. An office area (ideal for teleworking) has been set up, near the entrance and the kitchen. To give a tranquil atmosphere to this office, glass partitions separate it from the rest of the floor. Storage space has been maximized, especially in the entrance vestibule area, which has a large number of integrated storage spaces as well as a powder room. Intended for a large family, the converted building has a total of four bedrooms, located mainly on the 2^th floor, one of which has a private bathroom. The rooms border an opening in the floor, which offers the kitchen on the ground floor a double height bathed in light.

The house displays its past on the street while being resolutely in harmony with the modern needs of its occupants.