BOÎTE NOIRE II

The BLACK BOX II is the result of a series of architectures conceived as a case, such as a precious object, a fine cabinetmaking work. It is a box covered with a smooth and black material on the outside and blond wood on the inside.

The BLACK BOX II is covered with large plates of black fibrocement, iridescent surface, finely assembled by rivets and perforated with a pattern for the loggia. In contrast, the blond wood illuminates the interior.

Large windows open, unfold and the garden becomes part of the house. The interior and exterior materials interact in order to connect spaces. Inside, the blond wood paneling covers the walls and ceiling of the shed, while a lattice of Western cedar wood covers the covered exterior surfaces. The slate slabs on the terrace adjoin the concrete-like porcelain floor of the kitchen. Heritage of the past, the original oak wood floor of the dining room, preserved and restored, set the tone. The island, made of solid oak, is monumental in the center and serves as an altar for the ritual of meals. At the perimeter stands, more soberly, white or black furniture.

This project is a plea for constructive art, recognizing the complicity between the architect, the builders and the owners, all actively involved in the search for quality, both technical and aesthetic. The art of architecture manifests itself here in all its dimensions.

This semi-detached townhouse, made of red clay brick, is typical of Westmount and the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough of Montreal. We have grafted two black parallelepipeds arranged in a quincunx which, juxtaposed with the existing, enhances it. We are always looking for a subtle balance between the new and the old to create a coherent whole, preserving the authenticity of the existing details while affirming the contemporaneity of the intervention.