chevalier morales reinterprets american 50's architecture with orthogonal montreal residence

located on the banks of a river in northern montreal, canada, single-family ‘residence de l’isle’ by chevalier morales, takes shape as a perfect square structure with two rectangular courtyards. the project serves as a reinterpretation of the mid-20th century and especially the unique american modernist home, utilizing clean geometrical volumes and timber ceiling as well as wooden pieces of furniture. image by chevalier morales unless stated otherwise

chevalier morales sought to clad both the exterior and the interior with natural materials and a muted color palette, which resembles the original crust color of the tree. stone clothes the flooring and clay bricks cover the facade, which is smoothly integrated into the surrounding landscape, where the architects attempted to maintain the pre-existing vegetation as well as strengthen it by planting sizeable coniferous trees.

floor-to-ceiling glazing covers the front facade providing the open kitchen-dining-living area with a visual flow opening up towards the river while plenty of light penetrates the interior. the living room area is lowered by several steps adding a cozy touch to the project, while a glass pavilion is introduced on the roof. the staircase that connects the ground level to the upper floors is surrounded by a brass screen taking shape as a floating construction without any visible support. meanwhile, a glass mezzanine is revealed on the upper level, offering unobstructed views of the scenery.

images by adrien williams

image by adrien williams

image by adrien williams  

images by adrien williams

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project info:

name: residence de l’isle

architects: chevalier morales

design team: stephan chevalier, sergio morales, julie rondeau, christian aubin, ève beaumont-cousineau

contractor: st-laurent construction

structural: latéral

landscape: fabrique de paysages

location: québec, canada 

area: 580 sqm (6,243 sqft)