Birch Residence / Table Architecture

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Text description provided by the architects. The Birch residence is part of an early 20th-century development in the town of Saint-Lambert, Québec. The original building, with its generous architecture, featured ornamental woodwork and evoked the domestic elegance of the last century. However, the design, with its partitioned rooms, conflicted with contemporary living. The aim was to create fluid, uncluttered spaces that connect to the yard, addressing previous design shortcomings. A compact volume was also built at the rear to house the kitchen. The new interior layout is organized in two main axes: services and circulation, and living spaces. The kitchen is now the focal point, promoting a natural flow between the ground floor and the exterior. The house's features are reinterpreted with contemporary touches, such as stained wood veneers, trim work, larger openings, and new views toward the garden. The material palette blends the warmth of wood with the coolness of concrete. A prism of masonry, echoing the original materiality, the volume establishes a formal contrast with the turn-of-the-century building. At once alien and familiar, the extension stands out without confronting.