Related story: Steel cladding frames an offset window at Montreal house extension by NaturehumaineSituated in the suburban area of Saint-Lambert in Montreal, the pitched-roof property was originally designed by the client’s father, but after 50 years was in need of modernisation. «One of the client’s demands was to keep the basement untouched and exactly as how his father had built it. The staircase forms part of a refurbishment of a 1960s family home, named Closse Residence, by local studio Naturehumaine. The house also features an L-shaped porch, supported at its outer edge by a row of slim black columns and at its inner edge by the brick and timber walls, and a tall stone chimney stack. A serious contrast with the rest of the house,» said Rasselet. «The stair is visible from outside the house where its relationship with the roof can be viewed.»
Large glazed patio doors inserted in the south facade provide exterior views of the staircase. «Even now when the parents come visit, they enjoy spending time in the basement reminiscent of their past.»
Photography is by Adrien Williams. Panels of mirror are used throughout the space to maximise the light from the large black-framed windows, but downstairs the original basement has been left intact. Angular shapes have been sliced out of the planks of smooth maple that encase a staircase at the centre of this Montreal renovation by Naturehumaine (+ slideshow). A larger dining table sits in front of a stone wall with a restored corner fireplace. To one side of the staircase, a white countertop extends 2.4 metres off the end of a kitchen island to provide a dining table, merging the preparation and eating spaces. «The stair acts as a lantern, lighting the dining area with the use of recessed lighting and frosted glass,» said Rasselet.
