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Saint-André Duplex

Montréal, Canada

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located in Montréal, Canada
design proposal from 2022

The main goals of the project are the transformation and expansion of a duplex on Saint-André Street in Montreal. The current building occupies half of a former through-lot between Saint-André and Boyer streets.
The existing building has two levels and contains two dwellings, one per level. Its façade is dominated by a garage door and has little glazing. Barely visible from the street, the access to the units is located on the side of the garage. The juxtaposition of cladding materials suggests that the existing building has undergone several alterations over time, leaving an impression of poor quality and temporary construction work.
By preserving the two-storey volume at the rear of the site and the functional layout of the duplex, our transformation project aims to improve the architecture of the building, as much for its presence on St-André Street as for its interior and exterior spaces. Thus, the volume of the garage is replaced by a three-story volume that emulates the surrounding volumes and increases the living space of the building. The new units feature contemporary layouts with large open spaces, generous glass surfaces, independent access from Saint-André Street and inviting green spaces. Inspired by the adjacent buildings, the project's exterior is unified by a light-colored clay brick cladding.
The units are intended for two generations of the same family. The first level is for the older generation and meets the universal accessibility criteria for this type of occupancy, benefiting from a street level access. This aspect represents an incentive for its occupants to stay in it as long as possible.
Based on the configuration of the existing building, which is unusual to say the least, the present project proposes a sensitive and daring intervention in an established urban environment. In addition to reweaving the street frontage, the project would create a pocket of greenery and an interplay of opaque and transparent planes that would enrich the streetscape of Saint-André.