Design Buy Build Issue 38 2019 | Page 49

Referencing the Past Several elements give the building’s architecture meaningful connections to the area’s history. First is the idea of a massive structure, common under the French regime, but expressed in a contemporary design language. Moreover, features typical to the traditional neighbourhood houses are integrated into the project, the inverted roof slopes serving as a case in point. This laneway design from the pre-rain gutter era serves to drain runoff from front and rear surfaces to a central point. More pragmatically, the structure’s form allows the inclusion of a discreet skylight not seen from the street. The resulting volumetrics combine to provide a complete solution in respect of municipal restrictions and the 29- foot height requirement. Demonstrating sensitivity to Verdun’s history are the suspended moulded-glass modules on the street façade. This frosted veil, positioned before the 25- foot front window, evokes memories of the Dominion Glass Co., founded in 1905, as well as of the ice-cutters who were so important to the neighbourhood’s economy in the 19th century. 49