How They Pulled It Off: A Cantilevered Green Roof
A living roof is heavy; managing the extra weight requires careful consideration in its design.
A living roof is heavy; managing the extra weight requires careful consideration in its design.
To pull off a sculptural green roof—and the 2,500 square foot, off-grid-ready weekend getaway tucked beneath it— it helps to have an international design firm at your disposal. Happily, this is the case for Louis Lemay, president of Montreal-based firm Lemay, and his partner, architect Stéfanie Roy. Lemay’s firm is known for large-scale commercial and civic projects with a "net-positive" approach centered on the well-being of users, environmental protection, and carbon reduction. The couple used their vacation home as an opportunity to collaborate with structural engineering firm ELEMA, builders Charpentes Montmorency and Constructions Pierre Ruel, and a multidisciplinary design team from Lemay to test this approach at a residential scale. (And yes, they put in a hot tub.)
In winter, the bones of the house (laminated beams supporting cross-laminated timber panels) are visible.
Photo: Stéphane Groleau
The house in summer camouflage.
Photo: Stéphane Groleau
The new home is separate from the original, but the exterior spaces flow into each other.
Photo: Stéphane Groleau
See the full story on Dwell.com: How They Pulled It Off: A Cantilevered Green Roof
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