Photo credit: Stéphane Brügger
Situated in Hemmingford, southern Quebec, this distinctly modern residence by SIMARD Architecture unfolds onto the surrounding rural landscape and honours the many features of its rich agricultural past: expansive fields and orchards; weathered fences; an old barn clad in wood; and the ruins of the original farmhouse?s foundations. All these contextual cues influenced the site layout and architecture of this private residence designed for a couple who left their home in the city for a life in the country. The sun?s course throughout the changing seasons, as well as precise views over the fields, guided the home?s orientation and site location, while the old fieldstone foundation walls of the former farmhouse are preserved as artefacts to welcome the visitor and lead them to the main entrance while bearing witness to the memory of place. The house unfolds to the surrounding landscape. This 3,500-square-foot house features interior spaces that are open, fluid and awash in natural light. The residence is composed of two distinct two-storey volumes on either side of a double-height space containing the main entrance, a monumental stair and a glass-floored footbridge on the second level. With double-height floor-to-ceiling windows at both extremities, this space offers expansive views over the entire property. The composite effect of this threshold is a two-zoned space balancing openness and privacy. On the ground floor, on one side of the stai...