Parallelogram House
James Brittain

Parallelogram House, East St. Paul, Canada

5468796 Architecture as Architects

The Parallelogram House is a spacious bungalow for a young family of four located in the rural municipality of East St. Paul, just north of Winnipeg. Surrounded by typically suburban, stuccoclad dwellings on a quiet bay, the home presents a private, understated face to the street with extensive patio space and full-height glazing opening out over the tree-filled backyard.


While the client preferred a one storey layout, they assumed that their required program would only fit within a two storey home based on the lot size and setback restrictions. By angling the plan into a parallelogram, the increased exterior envelope could accommodate their required program on a single level, facilitating ease of movement throughout the house that is wellsuited for a family with children.


On the exterior, the house is clad in naturally stained vertical wood siding. A wood-clad soffit extends over open patios and screened porches to complete the parallelogram, supported by a series of u-shaped Cor-ten steel columns that screen views into private rooms and evoke the stand of existing trees on the site.


Inside, a floating utility box contains the entry closet, powder room and pantry, allowing the living and circulation space to flow freely around. The main bedroom wing is separated from the living space by a maple screen painted white that extends the geometry of the exterior columns through the house. A simple and muted palette highlights the interior volumes, with a sequence of light wells and skylights drawing daylight from the main floor all the way through to the finished basement.

Project Credits
Product Spec Sheet

ElementBrand
ManufacturersDuxton Windows & Doors
FloorMirage
ManufacturersPhantom Screens
Product Spec Sheet
Manufacturers
Floor
by Mirage
Manufacturers
Project Spotlight
Product Spotlight
News
10+1 cultural buildings with striking brick envelopes
26 Sep 2023 Specification
10+1 cultural buildings with striking brick envelopes

For millennia, brick has been used in the construction of buildings across the world. Brick architec... More

Detail: Planted Envelope of Kö-Bogen II, Düsseldorf
26 Sep 2023 Detail
Detail: Planted Envelope of Kö-Bogen II, Düsseldorf

Kö-Bogen II is a commercial and office building designed by Ingenhoven Associates as part of a... More

Surat Diamon Bourse by Morphogenesis becomes the world's largest office building
26 Sep 2023 News
Surat Diamon Bourse by Morphogenesis becomes the world's largest office building

Designed by Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis following an international design competition, th... More

OMA completes design of a new landmark cultural venue in Manchester
25 Sep 2023 News
OMA completes design of a new landmark cultural venue in Manchester

OMA has completed the design of Aviva Studios, a new landmark cultural venue in Manchester, England.... More

José Toral, Gemma Kim, Marshall Blecher, Martina Martino named as jurors in Archello Awards
22 Sep 2023 News
José Toral, Gemma Kim, Marshall Blecher, Martina Martino named as jurors in Archello Awards

As judging in the first Archello Awards draws ever closer (the last day for project and product entr... More

Coldefy designs a house-like, bioclimatic leather goods factory for Hermès
21 Sep 2023 News
Coldefy designs a house-like, bioclimatic leather goods factory for Hermès

Coldefy has designed a leather goods factory in the Ardennes for French design house and heritage br... More

UNStudio stacks facilities in winning design for Düsseldorf
21 Sep 2023 News
UNStudio stacks facilities in winning design for Düsseldorf

The reconstruction neighborhood around Kennedydamm, north of downtown Düsseldorf, is to be rene... More

Carr embodies Aesop’s intelligent design philosophy in the brand’s new Australian headquarters
21 Sep 2023 News
Carr embodies Aesop’s intelligent design philosophy in the brand’s new Australian headquarters

Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio Carr has completed the interior design of Ae... More