Benny Farm Veterans Housing

ARCHITECTSSaia et Barbarese architectes, Laverdière Giguêre architectes, Claude Cormier architectes paysagistes
LOCATION Montréal, Canada
DATE2000
CLIENTSociété Immobilière du Canada

DESCRIPTION

Team : Dino Barbarese, Robert Dionne, Dominique Dumont, David Griffin, Julie Lafrenière, Virginie Legast, Richard Létourneau, Yvan Marion, Marie Paré, Mario Saia, Roger Shepherd, Eric Stein, Yvon Théoret, Vladimir Topouzanov

Primary objectives included on the one hand: to provide comfortable, appealing lodgings for the residents, adapted to their age requirements while preserving the trace of the veterans, their way of life, and their historical significance. On the other: to avoid internalizing and isolating the community by opening it up to a larger and more diverse population. To accomplish this, the basic planning was founded on a principle of revitalisation. The new work is integrated into the neighbourhood by designing with it rather than by creating discontinuous ruptures of the urban fabric. The key is to establish strong relations between the Benny Farm ensemble and its neighbours. The existing neighbourhood is characterised by row upon row of two and three storey houses to the exclusion of all other types. New units, addressing the needs of a new clientele, inject a new vitality without disrupting the current life of the area. The sober brick walls presented by all public faces of the buildings guarantees the privacy of the inhabitants within, whereas the garden faces of anthracite stucco are enlivened by wide openings and glistening glass guard rails dotted with green pea spots at each balcony. The circular areas of lawn of herbaceous plats scattered over the compacted gravel surface repeats the green spot motif of the balconies.