Charles Lanteigne, Architecture and Portrait Photographer Based in Montreal.
LEARN MORE: guillaumelevesque.com
In 2017, the townhouse owners contacted Montreal architect Guillaume Lévesque for a very unique renovation project. They wanted to transform an old 1880s duplex into a multi-unit and harmonize the original style of the building with a decidedly contemporary and uncluttered addition.
Inspiration for this home comes from the majestic landscape of the St. Lawrence River estuary, visible from the rocky headland on which it is located. Built on a steep slope and unobtrusive on the street side, the house is completely open to the river, unfolding toward the horizon.
The expansion of this 1930s Outremont residence echoes the classical architectural language of this elegant residential neighbourhood. The new exterior finishing materials—hewn Saint-Marc limestone and tinned copper eaves—harmonize with those of the original structure, following an ornamental line that espouses the aesthetic canons of the era.
The design of the Canopy House was inspired by the leafy hardwood forest originally found on this mountainside Laurentian site. Inside, its spatial configuration is inverted: bedrooms are closely connected to topography, while living areas on the ground floor take the form of spacious open volumes.
