Light and urban intimacy sculpted in the De Lorimier House

In the heart of Plateau-Mont-Royal, a former warehouse is being transformed into a family home: De Lorimier House. The residence is a blend of light, privacy, and nature, showcasing how design can reinvent urban living with sensitivity and poetry.

A transformation that reinvents living

The De Lorimier House is born from the metamorphosis of a storage building into a single-family home, located in a densely populated lot in Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montreal. The designer Paul Bernier Architecte took on the challenge of creating an intimate and luminous environment, sculpting the existing structure with calibrated additions and subtractions. This intervention fits into the landscape of contemporary renovation projects that respond to the needs of urban densification, with great attention to context and quality of life. The entrance, marked by a volume clad in Corten steel, introduces to a vertically opening space, where zenithal light takes center stage and guides the inhabitants through a sensory journey between privacy and openness.

Light as a vital element

Inside, the house is developed on multiple levels, with spaces that breathe thanks to skylights and carefully designed openings. The kitchen and living room on the second floor are illuminated by skylights that diffuse a natural brightness, while small windows offer glimpses of the lively life of the alley behind. A large full-height opening connects the interior spaces to the lower terrace, creating continuity between inside and outside. Light descends to the bedrooms through a perforated walkway, transforming verticality into a visual and perceptual flow. The main bedroom, with its exposed wooden structure, opens onto a private courtyard through sliding doors that filter the light, creating an intimate and welcoming atmosphere.

Terraces as Extensions of Domestic Life

The De Lorimier House integrates two levels of terraces that expand the living space. The lower terrace, adjacent to the living area, is protected from the sun and conveys a courtyard-like character, accentuated by its proximity to neighbors. The upper terrace, connected by a staircase with planted steps, offers a privileged space to enjoy the sun and distant views. These outdoor spaces are not mere accessories, but integral parts of the design, capable of fostering sociability, relaxation, and connection with the urban environment. The choice to enhance the terraces reflects the desire to create a balance between domestic intimacy and openness to the city.

A sustainable densification model

The project addresses the challenges of gentle densification in urban areas, demonstrating how it is possible to transform existing buildings into functional and poetic homes. The conversion of a warehouse into a family home becomes a concrete example of how architecture can tackle housing shortages with innovative and context-sensitive solutions. For the designer, the De Lorimier House is not just an aesthetic exercise, but an act of social responsibility: an intervention that combines design, functionality, and environmental sensitivity, offering a replicable model for the future of cities.

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Paul Bernier Architecte

4755 Rue Pontiac Montréal, QC H2J 2T4 Canada