He could see his future. Optometrist Sylvain Duquette had first hired la Shed to renovate his clinic and eyeglass shop in Laval, a northwest suburb of Montreal. He was so delighted with the sleek, ultramodern outcome that he engaged the firm to transform a 1,400-square-foot ranch house he'd just bought in the same neighborhood. The surrounding 1950s subdivision was developed by J.J. Joubert, a successful local dairy owner who, it turns out, had a passion for midcentury design and architecture.

However, between the time that the one-story house was built as part of Joubert’s grand vision for an architecturally attractive, cohesive suburb and the day the optometrist purchased it, some unfortunate renovations had taken place. Sylvain had the foresight (okay, optometry puns end now) to recognize the possibilities of the house through the dark and murky ’70s-era design, which la Shed architect Yannick Laurin likens to that of a dungeon. A full renovation was in order.

Though the client offered la Shed full freedom, he also pushed them to go further than they initially ventured. The first drawings they presented were deemed too modern, too white, and Sylvain sent the architects back with a request for more warmth and stronger recognition of the house’s midcentury pedigree.

Grands Prix du Design. Local stone and wood, like those used in this sink, are found in nearly every room of the house. " layout="wide" credit="Photo by Maxime Brouillet" photoUserId="6133452406885343232"/>

The project’s first steps, after some demolition, included a complete modernization. External walls and roof were insulated against Montreal winters. An efficient heat pump system, which provides both carbon and cost savings, took the place of the old boiler. La Shed replaced the small ranch house windows with energy-efficient, double-glazed units that extend all the way to the ground, a move that also greatly amplifies the volume of light to the interior.

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In 2019, the year after Maison JJ Joubert was completed, la Shed won the Award of Excellence in Architecture from the Ordre des architectes du Québec in the category of single-family residence.

“People don't assign enough value to these architect-designed suburban houses from the ’50s," Laurin says. "We wanted to show how to give a second life to these buildings—without just simply restoring them. By working within the same language as the architecture of the original house, we could be respectful and make it contemporary at the same time. So it’s contemporary architecture with a midcentury-modern accent.”

Laurin considers the design of Maison JJ Joubert a manifesto for the future of the suburb and hopes that more homeowners will begin to renovate and modernize existing beauties rather than replace them larger, less graceful homes. He reports that his plan, and his client's vision, already seem to be working: More and more of Sylvain's Laval neighbors are undertaking similarly thoughtful renovations.

A Transformative Duplex Renovation in Montreal

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: la Shed architecture / @lashedarchitecture

Builder/General Contractor: Constructions Inox Inc.

Structural Engineer: Géniex

Interior Design: la Shed architecture