Maison De Gaspé Modern House Design By La SHED Architecture
If you ever find yourself wandering the narrow streets of Villeray, Montreal, you can stumble upon a charming piece of architecture. Surrounded by calm and vegetation, Maison de Gaspe becomes one with the environment, with only its black fence coming straightforward.
The house underwent renovation after renovation, loosing most of its original characteristics and making restoration impossible. SHED Architecture took over the project and chose to infuse the old with the new. The house gained a contemporary look with a traditional flair. Simplistic in design, Maison de Gaspe attracts through its materiality, its play with texture and colors and its elegant rhythm.
Maison de Gaspe blends seemingly in its surroundings, yet it brings something new. It’s shy and confident at the same time. Built for a family of four, the house provides a stylish, animated environment to for them to indulge in. Take a tour with us and discover more about the restoration of Maison De Gaspé by SHED Architecture.
1. The Old And The New, Combined
Located in the Villeray district, Maison de Gaspe reconciles the new and the old, intertwining contemporary with traditional. Viewed from the street, the house doesn’t have a striking design, nor is it spectacular. David Chipperfield said, a house doesn’t have to look like it’s changing the world. It has to mean something “not to the architects, but to the people who use it”.
2. Secluded In A Patio
Maison de Gaspe’s original volume was modified. A portion of the first floor was extracted for the purpose of creating a patio. The patio offers a high degree of privacy and security, it’s rectangular shape being surrounded on three sides.
3. A Traditional Approach
SHED architects chose dark painted clay brick as a material for the facade. According to the architects, the material “alluded, in a modern manner, to the traditional masonry typical of the surrounding area”. What’s more, its pattern offers a natural, vibrant feel to the facade.
4. A Touch Of Color
Secluded form curious eyes, a double door makes a statement through the medium of color. Its intense hue is accentuated by lightning. Located on the second floor, the door leads to a storage space.
5. Color and rhythm
Inside the home, the same striking color steals the spotlight. It’s complemented by a rectangle of wood lattices. The two elements emphasize one another, while toying with perception. According to the architects, “thin white steel tablets are integrated in the wood lattices and create a contrast with the orange background provided by the stairs”.
6. The Center Of The Home
In Maison de Gaspe, the kitchen is truly the heart of the home. It was designed to be both a working space and a setting that encourages interaction and communication. According to the architects, “in the kitchen, the occupant can enjoy a clear view of all common areas”.
7. Basking in natural light
The open concept encompasses the kitchen, the living and the dinning room. The space was conceived to maximize the entrance of natural light, providing a cozy and luminous environment for the occupants to indulge in.
8. Seductively Simple
“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication”, Leonardo Da Vinci said. His quote perfectly describes the design of the Maison de Gaspe’s master bathroom. Coming in a neutral color palette, it provides a luminous and refreshing setting.
9. Contrast In Neutrals
From storage, to the choice of materials, colors and textures, the bathroom seduces through its clever design. SHED architects stated “the black hexagonal mosaic floor as well as solid wood horizontal surfaces act as contrasting elements in relation to the omnipresent whiteness of the bathroom.”
10. For The Little Ones
Maison de Gaspe was designed to please. One one hand, its elegance, simplicity and comfortability satisfies the adults. On the other hand, its fun pops of color and play spaces are child oriented. It takes both the grownup and the little ones into consideration. Perhaps, this is where its charm comes from.
SHED Architecture conceptualized Maison de Gaspe to respect its inhabitants and its surroundings. Successful architecture is designed with the inhabitants and their comfort in mind, and this house excels in this area. Would you trade your house/ apartment for the Maison de Gaspe?
