Jean Verville Creates a Livable "Wooden Sculpture" in Montreal

A house in the Plateau Mont-Royal area of Montreal, Canada, designed by Jean Verville Architectes. "MB House" is a residence designed with full artistic expression taking into account the comfort and needs of the owners, namely Mathieu and Benjamin. The façade of this residence features brick walls with white paint finishing, contrasting with the surrounding buildings. The application of white is deliberately made to highlight the interior that applies light wood colors in almost every space.

Façade of “MB House”

When entering the ground floor of this house, you can see almost all the elements of the floor, walls, and ceiling in the geometric shape of a cube and use a wooden motif finish. So, the impression visitors or residents feel from this room is like being in a wooden maze from a game of geometric shapes. Not only for an aesthetic look, but this geometric shape game also functions as a partition between spaces. The space division on the ground floor consists of a living room, kitchen, and dining room. All furniture used is given white paint color to provide the same contrasting impression as the outer wall of this residence.

The Interior of  “MB House”

For lighting in this house uses natural lighting from windows facing the outside of the house, and LED strips installed on the ceiling follow geometric shapes or paths. Another uniqueness of this design is the game of leveling floors and ceilings, so technically, this house only consists of two floors, but it gives a different impression from the game of geometric shapes and voids. At some points, the height of the ceiling can be reached by human measurement, but on the other hand, the ceiling is made very high in the form of a void that connects the ground floor and the upper floor. At the same time, the access connects between spaces on the ground floor, a corridor as circulation.

Natural Lighting and LED Strips of  “MB House”

Human Reachable Ceiling

To go upstairs, use a wooden staircase; this staircase area forms an open void upwards and has high windows so that natural sunlight can ideally enter the room. Also, a fairly spacious workspace, two bedrooms, a toilet, and a service area are on the top floor. All furniture is white as applied to the toilet in harmony with the ground floor. The use of ceramics on the toilet walls is also white to contrast the interior, which is filled with warm wood colors.

Stairs Area with Void in “MB House"

The Furniture and Tiling is White to Contrast the All-Wood Interiors

MB House is designed with creativity in its unusual but fun wood sculpture. A space organization game that starts with a geometric shape that usually seems stiff and boring, but Jean Verville Architectes manages to execute it well. Different spaces have a structured design and are also connected in a dynamic rhythm.  

First Floor Plan of “MB House"

Second Floor Plan of “MB House”

Exploded Axo Diagram of “MB House”