At the heart of Outremont, in Montreal, the architects of Atelier Barda led the complete renovation of the three floors of a 1937 residence with Art Deco accents.
A presence already there, a balance embedded in the proportions of the rooms and the height of the ceilings: so much information treated as generous constraints for reworking the house. As such, the designers did not seek to radically transform the character of the home, but rather to accompany it through details in dialogue with the heritage it offered. To do so, they identified the latent qualities of the existing structure, such as the variations in proportion from room to room, in order to amplify them through the new layout.
On the ground floor, the kitchen and dining room now form the heart of the house: open, conducive to family gatherings, these spaces are structured around a sculptural natural stone counter, custom-designed. On either side, the living room, more intimate, retains its original proportions, while the boudoir, opening onto the back garden, has been entirely reworked and structured around a glazed sunroom. The walnut millwork composition integrates the wall panels and ceiling, as well as a custom banquette conducive to rest and reading in a hushed atmosphere.
The assembly of materials fully participates in this formal reading : the oak flooring pattern, designed specifically for the house, delineates the rooms; the wide geometric mouldings encircle the ceilings with a rigour inherited from Art Deco; the stone fireplace mantel anchors the living room at picture-rail height; walnut reappears, integrated as architectural elements, like an enveloping connecting thread.
In the stairwell, the original glass block tiles have been preserved, letting in a diffuse light. On the bedroom floor, the interplay of materials recedes. The architects made use of the volume beneath the roof to offer generous height in the primary bedroom and the office.
Outside, a new terrace, laid out in continuity with the kitchen, takes up the formal codes of Art Deco to anchor itself to the existing structure. The composition of the new sunroom likewise aligns with the original façade, in a measured dialogue between the house and the garden.
The reference to the objects of Marianne Brandt and the garments of Paul Poiret, invoked from the earliest sketches, sets a design requirement: every added element had to be able to stand on its own, through its geometry, its proportions, the quality of its execution, while still receding before the whole. Between accessory and architecture, the interventions were conceived as inserted pieces, yet perfectly attuned to the existing structure.
Team:
Architectes : Atelier Barda : Antonio Di Bacco (principal architect), Thomas Guilhen, Cécile Combelle
General contractor : Benoît Denis
Stylism : Emmanuelle Roque + Atelier Barda
Upholstery: Atelier 94b
Furniture: Barbeau Desrosiers, Karim Charlebois, Éditions8888, Foraine, Lauren Goodman, Lambert et Fils, Les Objets Raymond Raymond, smallmediumlarge, Van Lear
Accessories and vintage pieces : Bruises Gallery, Séjour studio
Photo credit: Alex Lesage
