Modern architecture has undeniable aesthetic qualities. But old houses also have their rustic charm with creaky floors and historic interiors. Lovers of both often believe that you have to choose between the two…but that’s not necessarily the case. This historic Eastern Townships home is living proof of that, with its newly renovated annexe housing an impressive library.
Posted at 12:00 p.m
“The client has a passion for architecture and history. It was therefore very important to him to preserve the heritage,” says Jean-François St-Onge, architect and co-founder of ADHOC, which led the pilot project.
On that spring-like day in mid-March—at least in Montreal…—we were standing with both feet in the snow and our heads in the flakes of snow when we arrived at the house, which is located in a former Loyalist hamlet. . On the small dirt road we first passed the mill, the chapel, then the cemetery, before we finally reached the residence from 1831.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Jean-François St-Onge, architect and co-founder of the ADHOC office, managed the project.
The architects left this untouched. Rather, the old outbuilding has been restored to create a living room with a wood-burning fireplace and a large library, all topped by a mezzanine level that houses an office — and more books.
“We had a super nice volume that was underused,” says Jean-François St-Onge, summarizing the old outbuilding. This very volume is sandwiched between the original house on one side and an unused barn on the other. The building to be renovated, which at the time served as a summer kitchen and garage, sagged so much that its corners rested on the neighbor. The architects first had to raise it, build a foundation for it and straighten it. Then they went inside.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
On the left is the original house and on the right is an old unused barn. In the middle the old renovated outbuilding. The right half is still used as a garage, a dormitory is being built on the upper floor.
open wide
One of the first gestures they made was to pierce the facade with two large openings aligned on each side of the building. This now allows for a view of both sides of the country, which stretches over 83 hectares.
“The owners wanted to connect more with the landscape and connect the front and back of the property,” explains the architect. In the past, the 5 to 7 was always done to the side of the entrance, on a small terrace quite narrow, bordered by a hedge and an old fountain. “It almost felt like an aperitif in a Montreal courtyard when we’re in a very large area,” he adds.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The room is simply furnished with Ligne Roset Togo armchairs, which have the advantage of being comfortable and easy to move. The wood-burning stove (a glazed Gyrofocus from the French brand Focus) warms the atmosphere of the room.
On the other side, more open, there is a swimming pool, another terrace without forgetting the view of the sunsets; but to access it, residents previously had to walk around the house. Access is now easier.
The intervention also allowed them to come and create a welcome contrast between the two worlds, the old and the new, Mr St-Onge points out.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Books and more books! The owner knows exactly where each of the structures is located. The white wall seen in the background marks the beginning of the old house.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Below the mezzanine are several service areas. Here we see the cloakroom, which is arranged very close to the entrance. The floor is slate.
PHOTO MAXIME BROUILLET PROVIDED BY THE ARCHITECTS
The office on the upper floor is designed like a small cocoon.
1/3
It’s an old house, ancestors, with very thick stone walls. It’s super warm but dark. This is how the idea came about to create an atmosphere that they didn’t have, namely a bright room, open to the landscape.
Jean-François St-Onge, architect, co-founder of the ADHOC office
They also tore off the ceiling because originally there were rooms on the second floor. This allowed them to create a double height above the living room and arrange the mezzanine. Interestingly, you have to go through the old house to get to the office there, as the architects have retained the original access to the upstairs bedrooms.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The architects have retained the original mezzanine access through this door. To get there you have to go through the old part of the house, a real journey through time.
A mezzanine also made it possible to accommodate several utility rooms on the ground floor. Here we find the entrance, the cloakroom, a bathroom, the laundry room, a small cellar and even a cloakroom with a shower for those coming from the pool.
From second home to main residence
The builders, parents of three young adults, bought this country house about fifteen years ago to spend the weekends there. But for years they have definitely left Montreal for the countryside. Her daughters grew up there.
However, they only recently decided to proceed with the work. It must be said that it is not over: after all, a dormitory is being built at the top, above the garage, in the second part of the building. There they can receive friends, family and extended family.
And the books with you? Apparently the three floors of the house were filled with it before the majestic library was built. “Books were everywhere: on every chair, every table, like mountains. It was very beautiful, but we needed a place to keep them,” notes Jean-François St-Onge, before rightly stating: “He’s really a lover of literature. »