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Crișan House

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield QC, Canada

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Salaberry-de-Valleyfield QC, Canada
completed in 2013
photo by Claudiu Olaru

The project consists in the refurbishment of a forty year old bungalow. Although the owners did not provide a specific program at the beginning of the project, they expressed their wish to have large, well lit spaces and a terrace overlooking the river that runs along the North side of the site. The footprint of the original house was already quite large, so the transformation was based on the addition of a second floor and the reconfiguration of the internal spaces. The scenic nature of the site determined the enhancement of the overall window area by consolidating and enlarging the existing ones.
Particular attention was paid to the roof configuration to allow the new volume to integrate with the surrounding amicable neighborhood and create a link with the roofscape of the city where the client was born (Sibiu). The oversized dormers in the living area and the upper floor allow natural light to flow on the ceiling surfaces, creating a dynamic and playful effect. The dormers are oriented such that the house benefits from solar heat gain in winter months and in the summer, the mature trees on the site help to keep the house cool.
The entire structure is made in wood; studs, joists and beams. The roof and the second floor are clad with metal, standing seam roofing and siding respectively while the ground floor was integrated with the new construction simply by painting the original brick black.