At the heart of Montréal’s Sud-Ouest borough, on the island of Montréal, a rare vacant lot has been transformed into a promise: for one family, the chance to build the home they had long dreamed of.

The mandate was clear: to design a single-family residence that combines functionality and comfort. Four bedrooms, including a private suite with an en-suite bathroom, additional washrooms, a closed office, and expansive living areas able to host children’s play without disturbing the older members of the household during their remote workday.

The project stems from a reflection on the inherent contradictions of urban dwellings:

How can spaces be luminous while still preserving intimacy?

How can a home open itself to the city without overexposure?

How can architecture negotiate such fundamentally opposing needs?

Residence GB+G takes shape as a pure, resolutely contemporary volume, set back from the street and positioned on the rear half of the site. On a generously sized lot, the house aims to establish a dialogue with its context, consolidating the alignment of the neighboring façades

Generously yet carefully fenestrated, the residence is clad in red brick and stripped of ornament. With sobriety, it reinterprets the spirit of the Montreal’s working-class plexes that define the neighborhood’s identity. At both the front and rear, pale wood cladding marks the entrances — a strong gesture affirmed through simple materiality. The front porch, recessed into an alcove, preserves the purity of the architectural volume while warmly welcoming visitors.

Inside, light becomes the primary material. Finishes in pale wood and white-painted surfaces diffuse natural light throughout the spaces. The ground floor, conceived as an open plan, asserts its semi-private character through expansive glazing. At the rear, a triple bay floods the living areas with morning light and connects the kitchen directly to a spacious terrace. The courtyard thus extends the living space, while the kitchen — designed as a gathering space — is organized around a central island oriented toward the dining room and living area.

At the core of the house, an architectural staircase crowned by a generous skylight diffuses daylight through its open risers across all levels. Upstairs, the office overlooks this luminous void, ensuring that every moment of remote work is accompanied by rays of sunlight.

The bedrooms privilege intimacy, with openings raised above floor level. In the same spirit, the master suite’s bathroom evokes calm and serenity through a palette of pale, mineral finishes

At the rear, the compact yard unfolds into a welcoming terrace overlooking a sunken pool, creating a family oasis within the dense urban fabric.

Balancing working-class heritage with contemporary expression, this townhouse unites architectural purity with domestic softness to respond to the needs of urban living. Minimalist yet warm, it inscribes in brick, wood, and light the everyday life of a young Montreal family.