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A Semi-Detached House on a Hill in Montreal

Built within an inner-city suburb of Montreal, the Lansdowne House, designed by Affleck de la Riva architects, is located on a street with rich heritage, and steep inclines and plateaus. The semi-detached house is situated on a hilly part of the street with a focus on asymmetry and informality of historical styles represented in the area. The two sides of the house, the detached and the connected, are each celebrated with a unique look all their own, while also fitting in with the charm of the neighborhood.

Photo by Marc Cramer

Photo by Marc Cramer

Using the same black slate used on the neighboring houses, Lansdowne’s corner bay windows on the street side and one at the back break tradition from the formal red brick.

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Glass banisters keep the space visually clean, letting natural light flow throughout the space uninterrupted. A glass walkway connects parts of the upstairs.

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The dining table sits beneath a double-height, light-filled ceiling, with pendant lights suspended from wires.

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The blue-hued glass walkway looks just as cool from below as it does upstairs. Also keeping things light, are the open stairs.

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Photos by Drew Hadley, except where otherwise noted, courtesy of v2com.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.