There’s a light steel system on the market that is transforming the construction of residences and commercial buildings. BONE Structure’s prefab components are designed and manufactured in Quebec with the same technology that is used for the precise parts of aircraft and automobiles. This technology offers distinct advantages over traditional building methods. Continue reading →

An urban infill project is always challenging when trying to meet the needs of diversity and economic viability. Add to this a much needed and intense environmental policy and the results are unique. Pietri Architectes designed a complex of three buildings, two of which house 69 dwellings. The third is a hotel of 175 guest rooms. Continue reading →

This long and winding road leads you directly to the azure door of a weathered timber clad cottage. Notched in to the hillside spanning between meadow and woodland, it’s a timeless design. Executed by Blouin Tardif Architecture-Environnement, the 2,700 sq.ft. house also bridges past and present. Continue reading →

In Sutton, Canada, The T House is a deconstructed assemblage of cubic volumes. Driven by the forested hillside site, its views, winds, stream, and sun, NDA Natalie Dionne Architecture maximized the natural elements on the contemporary house’s interior and exterior. Continue reading →

Set on a hillside in East Sussex, this clearly modern home echoes the straightforward utilitarian nature of its farmland setting. Incorporating three levels with a total of 3,700 sq.ft., the house was designed by Smerin Architects. The home’s name is derived from the Corten steel bridge by which you gain access. For additional drama, the entrance facade is clad in the weathering steel panels, standing upright. Vertical timbers wrap the concrete structure – foundation, piers, floors, and walls – on the three remaining elevations. Continue reading →

This project demonstrates the finest qualities of adaptive reuse…of a former brewery. Built in Berlin over the late 1800s and early 1900s, the building’s five distinct parts were restored and unified by a two-story addition. Julian Breinersdorfer Architekten removed the plaster coating on the original brick facade. With little historical data, recreation of the pre-World War I elements was tricky but successful. Continue reading →

Once the home of a train station master, this expanded Montreal house adapts remarkably to its evolved surroundings. The train tracks have been replaced by an urban park with mature trees. On the east side, the elevated highway addresses the street face of the home. The discreet and sober brick facade hosts a swath of vertical wood slats and limited-in-number windows and doors. Their blackened steel frames enhance the iron tones of the original rusty brick. Continue reading →

Simple typology extruded to new levels creates a brilliant home focused on spectacular views. Room 11 architects designed this modern residence for a gently sloping coastal site in Port Arthur, Australia. For their semi-retired-couple clients, the home’s design is extremely private at the entrance. Clad in vertically oriented timber, the façade of the triple gabled house is permeated only by an elongated hexagonal window. Black steel track reveals the nearly hidden sliding door. Deep roof overhangs, also clad in wood, cast a dramatic anticipation for those about to enter. Continue reading →

In Charlevoix, Quebec, a modern farmhouse is defined by the subtraction of space. MU Architecture designed the 3,400 sq.ft. family home for an idyllic rolling site overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Based on barn typology, the three-story home is a tall and slender version. Extracting volumes from the rectangle at the entrance and terraces emphasizes the elegant geometry. By changing the metal siding to white cedar these subtractions create a surprising balance, lightness, and harmonious contrast. It’s intriguing how dark siding wraps just one side of the balcony over the entrance. Glass railing protects the river side and maintains the views. Continue reading →

Near McGill University in Montreal, KANVA architects designed an infill project that bridges the past with the present. The site, formerly occupied by a 19th century historic stone home, fell victim to a fire in the early 1900s. Proximity to the university made student housing a logical choice for this urban revitalization project.
In this heritage zone locale, only masonry could be used as an exterior material. Inspired by the past, the architects sought a method for the 9,000 sq.ft. building itself to tell a story. Continue reading →