Modern architecture has undeniable aesthetic qualities. But old houses also have their quaint charm, with creaking floors and interiors steeped in history. Lovers of both often believe that you have to choose between the two…but that’s not necessarily the case. This period house in the Eastern Townships is living proof of this, with its newly renovated outbuilding which houses an impressive library.
“The client is passionate about architecture and history. So for him, it was really important to preserve the heritage,” says Jean-François St-Onge, architect and co-founder of the firm ADHOC, who piloted the project.
On this spring-like day in mid-March – at least, in Montreal… – we had both feet in the snow and our heads in the flakes when we arrived in front of the house, nestled in a former Loyalist hamlet. . On the small country lane, we first passed the mill, the chapel, then the cemetery, before finally arriving at the residence which dates from 1831.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Jean-François St-Onge, architect co-founder of the firm ADHOC, piloted the project.
This was left untouched by the architects. Rather, it’s the old outbuilding that has been restored, to create a living room with a wood-burning fireplace and a large library, all topped by a mezzanine that houses an office – and even more books.
“We had a super nice volume, which was underused”, summarizes Jean-François St-Onge about the old outbuilding. This volume, precisely, is sandwiched between the original house on one side and an unused barn on the other. The building to be renovated, which at the time served as a summer kitchen and garage, was sagging to the point where its corners rested on its neighbour. The architects first had to lift it, build a foundation for it, and straighten it. Then they went inside.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
To the left is the original house and to the right is an old, unused barn. In the middle, the old renovated outbuilding. The right half is still used as a garage, and a dormitory will be built upstairs.
open wide
One of the first gestures they made was to pierce the facade with two large openings, aligned with each other, on each side of the building. This now allows for a view on both sides of the land, which is spread over 83 acres.
“The owners wanted to connect more with the landscape, and link the front and the back of the land,” explains the architect. Before, the 5 to 7 was always done on the side of the entrance, on a small terrace quite tight, adjoined by a hedge and an old well. “It almost felt like having an aperitif in a Montreal courtyard, when we are in a very large area,” he adds.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The room is simply furnished with Togo armchairs by Ligne Roset, which have the advantage of being comfortable and easy to move around. The wood stove (a glazed Gyrofocus from the French brand Focus) warms the atmosphere of the room.
On the other side, more open, there is a swimming pool, another terrace, without forgetting the view of the sunsets; but to access it, the occupants had to walk around the house before. Access is now easier.
The intervention also allowed them to come and create a welcome contrast between the two worlds, the old and the new, underlines Mr. St-Onge.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Books, and more books! The owner knows precisely where each of the structures is. The white wall that can be seen in the background marks the beginning of the old house.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Below the mezzanine are several service areas. We see here the cloakroom, arranged very close to the entrance. The floor is slate.
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PHOTO MAXIME BROUILLET, PROVIDED BY THE ARCHITECTS
The office is laid out like a little cocoon, upstairs.
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It is an old house, ancestral, with very thick stone walls. It’s super warm, but dark. So there was also the idea of creating an atmosphere that they did not have, that is to say a bright room, open to the landscape.
Jean-François St-Onge, architect co-founder of the firm ADHOC
They also demolished the ceiling, because originally there were rooms on the second floor. This allowed them to create a double height above the living room, as well as to arrange the mezzanine. Interestingly, to access the office perched there, you have to go through the old house, since the architects kept the original access that led to the bedrooms, upstairs.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The architects kept the original access to the mezzanine, which is through this door. You have to go through the old part of the house to get there, a real journey through time.
Having a mezzanine also made it possible to fit several service spaces downstairs, on the ground floor. This is where we find the entrance, the cloakroom, a bathroom, the laundry room, a small cellar and even a cloakroom with a shower, for those arriving from the swimming pool.
From secondary residence to principal
The clients, parents of three young adults, acquired this country house some fifteen years ago to spend the weekends there. But for years, they have definitely left Montreal to settle in the countryside. It is especially there that their daughters grew up.
However, it was only recently that they decided to proceed with the work. It must be said that it’s not over: eventually, a dormitory will be built upstairs, above the garage, in the second part of the building. They will be able to receive friends, family and extended family there.
And the books, in all this? Apparently, the three floors of the house were filled with them before the majestic library was built. “There were books everywhere: on all the chairs, all the tables, like mountains. It was very beautiful, but we needed a place to store them”, notes Jean-François St-Onge, before concluding, rightly: “He is really a lover of literature. »