Lajeunesse Residence | naturehumaine [architecture+design]

Montreal / Canada / 2013

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We were hired by a young couple to do a complete renovation of a house built by the clients grandfather, now housing its third generation of the same family. They wanted to combine the two existing apartments into a single family house on two levels. Their request was that we created something modern and bright. Due to the noisy street at the front of the house, the main living spaces were placed at the back facing north creating the challenge of bringing direct sunlight into these spaces. A double height lightwell topped with a skylight, aids in bringing light to the center of the house.


On the ground floor, a wall of translucent sliding panels protects the living spaces from unwanted gazes from the street as well as acting as a vestibule in winter. A plywood handrail wraps around the stair and folds at the base becoming a long bench for the dining table. Two intersecting steel bars are suspended over the dining table acting as both a sculptural element and the direct and indirect lighting for the dining area. A simple pallet unifies the custom furniture around the house; folded steel plates, white wooden shelves, and russian plywood. A play of angled white steel tubes supports the dining table, the kitchen island, and a glass handrail. The final result is humble and cosy, with each object falling naturally into place.

[FR]
Construit par le grand-père de la cliente, ce duplex de la rue Lajeunesse accueille désormais sa troisième génération d’occupants. À l’origine composé de deux logements superposés, le jeune couple a voulu le transformer en résidence unifamiliale sur deux niveaux. Ceux-ci voulaient un nouvel espace moderne et très ensoleillé.  Les espaces de vie étant situés côté nord, à l’écart de la rue bruyante, le défi principal était de faire pénétrer la lumière naturelle le plus profondément possible. Pour ce faire, un immense puits de lumière donnant sur un espace double hauteur fut inséré au centre de la maison.  Au rez-de-chaussée, une rangée de panneaux coulissants translucides permettent de protéger l’espace des regards de la rue tout en faisant office de vestibule en hiver. Dans l’espace double hauteur,  l’escalier menant à l’étage est recouvert d’une peau de contreplaqué qui se replie pour former une longue banquette servant la table à diner. Deux grandes barres d’acier plié s’entrecroisent au dessus de la table pour intégrer l’éclairage artificiel. À l’étage on retrouve 3 chambres à coucher, une salle de  bain et un espace de travail ouvert.  La grande majorité du mobilier fut réalisé sur mesure en combinant de manière simple plaques d’acier plié, longues tablettes de bois blanc et peau de contreplaqué russe. Une série de tubulaires en acier peints blanc supportent tables et comptoirs. L’effet final se veut humble et chaleureux, chaque objet déposé naturellement en place sans artifice.

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    We were hired by a young couple to do a complete renovation of a house built by the clients grandfather, now housing its third generation of the same family. They wanted to combine the two existing apartments into a single family house on two levels. Their request was that we created something modern and bright. Due to the noisy street at the front of the house, the main living spaces were placed at the back facing north creating the challenge of bringing direct sunlight into these spaces. A...

    Project details
    • Year 2013
    • Work finished in 2013
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Single-family residence / Interior Design
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