Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Microclimat Architecture
23/05/2016.
[Montréal] Canada
metalocus, ANDREA PORTILLO
metalocus, ANDREA PORTILLO
This expansion of a century home carried out by Microclimat Architecture creates a space between the courtyard and living areas, giving a new sense of openness to the house while respecting its surroundings.
Exterior view from the backyard of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Close view of the stair of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Interior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Ground floor plan. Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Image © Architecture Microclimat.
First floor plan. Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Image © Architecture Microclimat.
Second floor plan. Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Image © Architecture Microclimat.
Section. Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Image © Architecture Microclimat.
Model. Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Image © Architecture Microclimat.
Exterior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Exterior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Exterior view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
Street view of the Hotel-de-Ville Residence by Architecture Microclimat. Photography © Adrien Williams.
A large rooted tree sets the ground for an expansion project to a house located in the Plateau Mont-Royal. With a vision to respect the home’s original character and preserve the large poplar rooted in the backyard, Microclimat Architecture has designed a low-impact intervention for an addition that occupies a small portion of the garden, conecting old and new through two new large openings in the existing brick wall.
Description of the project by Microclimat Architecture
A low-impact intervention
Located in the Plateau Mont-Royal, a centennial home welcomes a family who wish to breathe new life into their space and establish a new dialogue with its surrounding environment.
The expanded architecture—an intermediate area between the yard and the living quarters—offers a newfound flow of space and light in the home without compromising intimacy. Through the fluid transition resides a sharp contrast between the modern addition and the home’s original design from 1885, one that is further accentuated by the addition of a light steel staircase that serves as a filter between the interior and exterior spaces.
This staircase connects the spaces and allows a complete reorganization of the home’s original interior design, all while representing the verticality of the tree, thus reinforcing the relationship between the home and its roots. Two sunrooms located near the new wooden windows of the refurbished space offer a comfortable reading space near the yard, providing the family with the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding environment year round.
A cantilevered mezzanine
Perched on the peak of the new space, the mezzanine is home to the master bedroom, with direct access to a new rooftop terrace. This mezzanine is cantilevered on both sides of the home and yard, floating quite literally over the neighbouring homes and minimizing the modifications made to the original structure.
The Hôtel-de-Ville residence shows the potential of considered architectural interventions to rethink the purpose of a space by establishing a new connection to its surroundings, in this case the shared roots between a centennial home and a poplar tree.
More information
Architect.-
Microclimat Architecture
Structural engineer.-
Geniex
General contractor.-
Paquet construction urbaine
Area.-
1,700 sqf
Project end date.-
2015
MICROCLIMAT ARCHITECTURE
Microclimat Architecture is a Canadian office based in Montreal and founded by Olivier Marcoux Guillaume Lajeunesse-travers.
Guillaume Marcoux, Co-Founder of Microclimat Architecture. Originally from Charlevoix, Guillaume travels the world to meet the architectural treasures that make up the current landscape. With extensive professional experience both in Quebec and abroad, he wants to transfer this experience in a collaborative approach, placing the customer at the center of the project design.
Olivier Lajeunesse-Travers, Co-Founder Microclimat Architecture. He came to Montreal to study architecture, and immediately fell in love with this city of human scale and its infinite horizon of possibilities. Through Microclimat, seeks to understand the way of inhabiting the city, and integrate the results of his explorations in a practice in constant dialogue with its environment.
Guillaume Marcoux, Co-Founder of Microclimat Architecture. Originally from Charlevoix, Guillaume travels the world to meet the architectural treasures that make up the current landscape. With extensive professional experience both in Quebec and abroad, he wants to transfer this experience in a collaborative approach, placing the customer at the center of the project design.
Olivier Lajeunesse-Travers, Co-Founder Microclimat Architecture. He came to Montreal to study architecture, and immediately fell in love with this city of human scale and its infinite horizon of possibilities. Through Microclimat, seeks to understand the way of inhabiting the city, and integrate the results of his explorations in a practice in constant dialogue with its environment.
