Résidence Hôtel-de-Ville is a minimalist architectural intervention located in Montreal, Canada, designed by microclimat. With a vision to respect the home’s original character and preserve the large poplar rooted in the backyard, microclimat designed a low-impact intervention for an addition that would occupy a small portion of the garden. This new space would blossom from the home through two new large openings in the existing brick wall. The expanded architecture—an intermediate area between the yard and the living quarters—offers a newfound flow of space and light in the home without compromising intimacy. Through the fluid transition resides a sharp contrast between the modern addition and the home’s original design from 1885, one that is further accentuated by the addition of a light steel staircase that serves as a filter between the interior and exterior spaces.

Photography by Adrien Williams