The first part of a series of impressions written by the Educational Services team about the Some Ideas on Living in Montréal workshop for students.

Maison Coloniale, Jacques Rousseau, architect, 1990

The house dominates the horizon between city and sky. One wonders what lies behind this fortress-like façade. A spiral stairway is observed, stemming out from where the vineyards grow. Where does it lead?

A feeling of vertigo grows within, looking at this door perched above the void. How do we dwell in this unusual house? How does it reveal itself to the city; what does it tell us about it?

Observing every detail on the façade, the concrete appears less austere, as we slowly imagine a carefully-crafted work.

A private garden that resembles a passage.

A concrete wall divides cars from nature. On one side, there is the garden and on the other, the city. The ground treatment is different: you can imagine yourself at home, behind this wall, in the shade created by trees.