The house that celebrated its uniqueness

After almost two years of searching, a family got their hands on a lot in Montreal, consisting of a house adjoined by an old shed. The small plot of Plateau Mont-Royal had irregular contours, but that’s what made it possible to fit one more room there, while integrating a courtyard, explains architect Thomas Balaban. Visit of a project that has chosen to celebrate its irregularities to make it a unique place.

Sophie Ouimet
The Press

The house as such is not large, although it has two levels and a basement. On the ground floor, we find the entrance and the two bedrooms, separated by a bathroom. A large steel staircase leads either to the basement, where a small wine cellar has been set up, or upstairs, where the living spaces unfold in a relatively open area. “It’s still quite tight, says architect Thomas Balaban. We didn’t want to undo the existing structure. The enclosure somewhat dictated the layout of the different rooms in the house. »

A precious tree

Fortunately, the land also had, on the side, a century-old old car shed — which probably served as a garage — and a small courtyard. The architect chose to build an addition connected to the floor of the existing house, which seems to float in the air, and which leaves all the room for the garden on the ground floor. An extension on the ground with a green roof could also have worked, but they preferred to do the opposite, in particular to preserve the mature tree that was on the ground.

“The tree was a beautiful feature in the streetscape. It would have been a shame to start digging foundations and remove it, ”underlines Thomas Balaban.

The presence of this tree also contributed to the somewhat toothless rhythm of the street, due to the irregularity of the lot and the fact that there is no alley behind it. “From time to time, there is a space, a little something missing… There was a rather beautiful element to this sort of hole with a tree, a little secret garden, and we didn’t want to lose that aspect. », continues the architect.

Minimalism

Since on the second level, we already find the dining room, the kitchen and a small office, so it is the living room that has found its place in the 300 sq.^⁠2. Interspersed with windows and views of the trees (since there’s one behind it too), the space is like a little cocoon lifted into the air.

The addition, like the rest of the house, is made of raw materials. “It’s minimalist, in the truest sense of the term, maintains Thomas Balaban. We have plywood, steel, concrete, it’s a really minimal approach. »

Indeed, we find these concrete floors throughout the house, and the walls are covered with plywood (except in the extension). “We had this beautiful structure that already existed, so we were looking for something with a bit of character. The plywood was almost perfect for covering the walls,” says Thomas Balaban, adding that the architect and clients liked its warmth without being too chic.

On these wooden walls were exhibited several pieces from the owners’ art collection. “There were missing walls at the end for all of their canvases! laughs the architect. The colors of the works contrast well with the plywood and with the opening of the windows. »

During the demolition, they were also pleasantly surprised (yes, that sometimes happens): “There was a super nice roof structure, which is the original one, and which we left visible”, notes Mr. Balaban . The superb ceiling even still exhibits its Saint-André crosses, that is to say the small braces between the joists. The whole harmonizes perfectly with the more industrial style of the rest, and reminds the occupants of all the charm of yesteryear of their house.