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naturehumaine atelier architecture design office renovation commercial montreal

10 January 2021

_naturehumaine’s atelier

Naturehumaine's office is moving into a century-old building on the corner of Gilford Street, in the square left by Mr. Jiji, the emblematic shoemaker of the neighbourhood who retired. The project aims to restore the building's heritage features and preserve the soul of a local business while giving it a contemporary touch. The atelier is set up on 2 levels; on the ground floor is the main work area and the meeting room. The basement becomes a kitchen, dining room, material library and archive area. The major intervention was to renovate the former inner courtyard on the lateral side, in order to install the main entrance of the office. This new space serves as a transition threshold before entering the work-space. The entrance is largely glazed and also incorporates a few shelves used to display architectural models. At the back, the meeting room is concealed by a striated glass panel, creating a...

24 August 2018

by Giovanni Guillabert

Le Soufflet

The project consists in a complete transformation and extension of a commercial building on Beaubien Street. Its composition transcribes both the superposition of the commercial uses, while reinterpreting the original two-storey base from which a new floor emerges. This one is characterized by a monolithic steel roof sitting on a longitudinal band of black windows. The conceptual idea of the project is to offer a panoramic framing of the view towards Molson park’s trees. The terrace on the roof express this concept by a series of sunbreakers inspired by the old folding cameras – in french « appareil photo à soufflet ». This black structure allows the scale of the project to be aligned in continuity with its neighbours from the street, while reinterpreting the architecture of the pergolas in a contemporary way. A perception of depth generated by the side alley is accentuated by a series of regular windows and by...

12 June 2018

by Giovanni Guillabert

Aesop Kitsilano

The design concept of the Aesop boutique is inspired by the geography and particular topography of Vancouver Bay and takes up the theme of contrast to propose an interior design where borders are opposed and materials respond by symmetry. Taking its name from its Amerindian origins, Kitsilano really took off in the 50s and 60s with the hippie movement and the cultural mixes that enrich the neighborhood. Mostly residential, one finds large coloured residences, covered with light wood cladding or plaster in pastel tones, element taken up in the choice of pastel pink for the Aesop store façade. Surrounded by powerful nature, Vancouver was built on the water’s edge, on a plateau overlooking the surrounding mountains. The development of port activity reached its peak in the 1930s thanks to the timber trade. The concept of the shop transcribes this meeting of strong geological elements in the palette of materials used as well...

6 June 2016

by Giovanni Guillabert

Aesop Mile End

The design of the Aesop store in the Mile End portrays in simple ways, the underlying theme of movement found through the heritage of the neighborhood. From the 1880’s to the 1980’s, different waves of immigrants settle in this neighbourhood as described by the documentary of Montreal filmmaker Albert Kish “Our Street was paved with gold”. The design of this Aesop store presents itself as a common, but deconstructed, structure. The store appears to be stripped to the bare bones, showing its structural “guts”. As visitors glimpse into the storefront, they are confronted at first with a familiar raw palette of materials – plaster, plywood, limestone, brass, and reclaimed wood. A monolithic demonstration sink, covered in local limestone stands as a visual anchor in the middle of the store compelling visitors to move around it in order to explore the nuances and elements of the walls. The recognizable stud wall is transformed into a plywood structure that unfolds its colors...

1 January 2015

by Giovanni Guillabert

Au Pain Doré

The bakery ‘Au Pain Doré’ , located on the ground floor of a 3 storey building on Côte-des-Neiges, decided to do some important renovations. The challenge was to give this chain a contemporary look. ‘Au pain doré’ is inspired by the European concept of ‘bakery/café’ that combines the sale of baked good and high quality coffee where the barista is put at center stage. The interior organization has been completely redesigned with an extension in the back creating a 1500 sqft unit. The spatial concept of the project was inspired by the lattice of wooden bread baskets. A structural wooden frame holds a series of randomized wood slats creating a lattice that opens and closes to create space for lighting and ventilation. The lattice wraps down the wall turning into shelves for the bread and pastries as well as benches and counter tops. The randomized rhythmic lattice provides a dynamism experienced...

1 January 2014

by Giovanni Guillabert

Mylène B

Mylène B’s creations are distinguished by their clean lines that highlight the silhouette of the female body.This simple and minimalist approach is reflected in the design of the new boutique situated on Boulevard St-Laurent in the heart of Montreal’s Mile-End district. To minimize costs, the client wanted a design that was simple enough that she could build it herself. In order to maximize the impact of the space and stay within the limited budget, the strategy was to use one primary material: fiber-cement panels. This affordable and expressive material harmonizes with the creations of the designer. Once delivered on site, the client was able to manipulate and assemble the material using very simple but uncommon techniques. For example, large paperclip were used to join folded pieces of hot rolled steel and fiber-cement shelves to create the central display. This creates a very versatile and flexible display that can adapt to new...

1 January 2012

by Giovanni Guillabert

Châteaunoir

The existing building, an industrial workshop from the 50’s, shelters a masterful project realized by Jacques Bilodeau in 2003. The concrete block walls and weak foundations of the existing structure could not support the weight of two additional floors. In order to preserve the architectural intervention of Jacques Bilodeau, we had to build on top of the existing building – a delicate and complex operation....

1 January 2012

by Giovanni Guillabert

Elixirs

Elixirs bought an old grey stone house from the turn of the century on St-Hubert street with the hopes of completely converting it for their new headquarters. The ground floor and half basement would house their offices, a tasting room, wine storage, and a conference room. The pallet of materials used for the project was kept simple and directly linked to a pallet that would be typically found in the wine production industry; oak, steel, green ‘bottle glass’, and smoked glass. An oak-slatted canopy draws in the visitor from the entrance and then folds down to create a more private zone for work in the offices. This canopy aids in visually linking the office space on the ground floor. The interior ambiance took its Inspiration from wineries and the atmosphere of wine cellars. The dark wood floors and structural elements in black steel are reminiscent of wine barrels are highlight the contrasting...