Résidence Laval | Francois Abbott

In the Plateau–Mont-Royal district, an old greystone townhouse fits in with its neighbors. Each one was built in the 1800s from local stone, standing shoulder to shoulder. This is a common streetscape for this neighborhood. From the street, the houses look similar, as heritage regulations protect facades that are in public views. The bylaws that keep the urban landscape coherent however do not apply to the interiors or the rear facades of these buildings, offering a greater architectural flexibility and some eclecticism.

This residence had layers of additions on the rear, including an unfinished basement. The program included the addition of a basement walkout towards the backyard and improvement of the thermal performance of the south facade. A fabric studio was installed on the top floor, in a small room with poor natural light.

The rear collection of facades was removed, and the resulting opened building was dressed with glass, extending into the roofline. The fabric studio was left where it was, now suspended in front of a double height curtain wall. The back of the house is flooded with natural light and enlivened by the shadows of foliage from nearby trees. The focus remains on the restored historical elements of the house, the intervention being almost purely spatial – a volume of light-filled space connecting floors.