Saint-André no3 by Thellend Fortin Architectes
Saint-André no3 reworks a Plateau-Mont-Royal duplex in Montreal, Canada into a single-family house for one extended clan. Thellend Fortin Architectes guide the transformation with a crisp plan, an added mezzanine, and a rear extension that draws daylight deep inside. Completed in 2022, the home centers movement and light as the primary tools for turning narrow rooms into a coherent whole.
Sun drifts through a run of skylights and settles on pale oak. A narrow former duplex opens into a continuous sequence that carries from basement to a new mezzanine.
The house stands on Plateau-Mont-Royal in Montreal, converted from a stacked duplex into a single-family cottage by Thellend Fortin Architectes. The plan works in parallel bands—served rooms and the circulation and utility strip—so movement stays clear while light travels far.
Parallel Bands
Rooms align on one side; the service and circulation run alongside like a spine. This straightforward arrangement turns a tight footprint into a legible sequence where each room gets daylight without cluttered detours. White surfaces and light wood help the eye read depth, and the pale palette softens transitions between zones.
Stair As Journey
The stair moves like a free object, folding and unfolding between levels. Its raw material contrasts with the calm interior, asserting presence and setting the rhythm for the ascent. Landings stitch together rooms and views, making a promenade that starts in the basement and reaches the mezzanine without a pause.
Rear-Facing Extension
At the backyard, the extension’s geometric rear elevation plays against a neighboring project by the same architects. Openings shift like sliding panels to align within a virtual grid, tying the two elevations into a quiet conversation. This calibrated geometry frames garden views and organizes thresholds between interior living and the outdoor edge.
Light, Color, Texture
White and white oak set an ethereal register without washing out texture. Through the day, sun and shadow animate monochrome finishes so walls feel active rather than flat. The modest palette balances the home’s narrow width, lending calm continuity from level to level (and giving the stair’s raw surfaces more bite).
Skylight Cascade
A series of skylights pulls daylight down through the core. Every level receives a measured pour of sun, reducing reliance on perimeter windows and strengthening the central route. The mezzanine benefits most, where high light softens edges and turns the upper landing into a small perch for pause.
Evening returns the focus to the interior’s quiet grain and the precise joints where wood meets white. The plan stays readable; the walk remains clear and steady. Daylight, sequence, and a single insistent stair do the heavy lifting.
Photography by Charles Lanteigne
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