Two colours of brick give Quebec apartment building "painterly dimension"
Montreal-based studio ACDF Architecture has rounded select corners of an apartment building in Quebec, Canada, and used a two-tone brick cladding system to create an interesting optical effect.
Known as Mellem Manoir-des-Trembles, the building contains nearly 200 rental units in Gatineau, just north of Ottawa.
ACDF Architecture teamed up with developer Maître Carré to explore how density and financial viability can be achieved alongside a smaller environmental footprint.
"At a time when environmental challenges and limited resources demand that we do more with less, this approach has evolved into a genuine philosophy: creating architecture that is at once responsible, expressive and meaningful," the studio said.
"Here, the balance between rootedness, longevity and comfort is not only expressed through a distinctive architectural signature, but also through a deliberate pursuit of measured equilibrium – between restraint and richness of expression, between constructive efficiency and spatial generosity."
The building's entry face has a series of flattened arches along the ground floor that root it to the site. The arches form voids in a red-brick volume with the interiors coated in white, a scheme repeated throughout the building's exterior.
Above, seven levels of residential units are set back from the perimeter of the building, turning the red brick facade into a frame for an exterior white brick wall and a series of offset, cantilevered balconies that project out from the recessed face.
The architecture studio said that the structure was intended to reinterprete the classical style
"The project is guided by a subtle sense of balance, reinterpreting the classical colonnade to express both rootedness and permanence," ACDF associate architect Christelle Montreuil-Jean-Pois told Dezeen.
"Its style could be described as quiet elegance: an architecture that attracts the eye with precision, without ever seeking to dominate."
"Perpendicular wall projections frame these compositions, creating a dynamic interplay of depth and shadow that gives the project a painterly dimension, perceptible even at the neighborhood scale."
The curved forms and two-toned material palette continue around the building, where a C-shaped floor plan is formed by an interior courtyard.
Where the edges of the buildings meet the ground, the corners have been curved, so that the courtyard is framed by an upside-down arch that mirrors the arches in the front and provides privacy for the ground floor.
The residences range from studios to five-bedroom units, and a partially submerged parking level accommodates 375 bikes and 20 electric vehicles.
The shared amenity spaces are located on the ground floor to serve as a gathering place for residents and connect with the city.
A white, helical staircase connects the ground floor to a communal lounge and the courtyard.
"Rather than isolating residents within an individualistic housing model, the project celebrates the 'we' over the 'I', emphasising the collective value of multifamily living," the team said.
"The ground floor thus acts as a true inhabited threshold, a lively space that contributes to the vibrancy of the public realm, while fostering a sense of belonging among residents."
ACDF boasts a large portfolio of commercial, hospitality and both single-family and multi-family residential projects. Previously, the studio completed a 30-story retirement tower for "sophisticated seniors" in Laval, a copper-clad hotel and entertainment venue in Vancouver and a black-and-white hotel in Montreal.
The photography is by Adrien Williams.
Project credits:
Client / Developer: Maître Carré
Architecture: ACDF Architecture
Interior design: ACDF Architecture
Design styling and coordination: Maripier Edwards
Civil engineering: Desjardins Expert Conseil
Structural engineering: Génimac
Mechanical and electrical engineering: Desjardins Expert Conseil
General contractor: Pomerleau
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