The sixth and best week yet at Yestermorrow’s Semester in Design/Build! This week’s goal was to finalize as much of the design as possible to begin ordering materials. As a reward for our fun, yet tedious work, we went on an overnight trip to Montreal!

Monday through Wednesday, we were locked into the studio. Conversation focused on what to cut and what to keep. As a class, we decided it was worth keeping the design “simpler,” in order for it to be actually buildable. Therefore, we begrudgingly said no to the loft, no to the green roof, and no to the slanted wall. Instead, we focused our design on a split roof with a center clerestory, allowing light to flood into the bedroom and living room spaces. Though no exact floor plan is set, we mapped out enough space for the bathroom, decided on a different entrance in order to include a mudroom, and celebrated the idea of “bump-outs” by pushing the bedroom and living room walls. We divided and conquered to visualize the space, making floorplans, isometric drawings, and roof plans, all to show our client, Chris. Mid week, we staked the gravel patch where we’ll be working to give Chris and Project Manager Nick a walkthrough. Their feedback was positive and we are excited to bring the vision to life through construction starting next week!

With the design far enough along to begin ordering materials and planning floor joists (thanks, Nick!), we set off at 9 am Thursday for Montreal, Canada! After a short 2 hour drive and easy border crossing, our first stop was Marché Atwater, where we stopped for lunch at the riverside. We then ventured over to Mount Royal, and strolled around the park, enjoyed the overlook, climbed statues, and spotted koi fish in Beaver Lake.

Next, we explored the Plateau neighborhood of Montreal, with a mission to find the most unique and terrifying exterior staircases that line the streets. Some were curved or spiralled, others barely hanging on, and many seeming like a winter death trap, but were often intricate and beautiful.

For dinner, we had delicious dumplings at a small, local place, before heading to Montreal’s Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden was absolutely incredible, highlighting light exhibits from different regions and cultures. The exhibits were often interactive, through misty tunnels and sound tubes. The gardens were deeply beautiful, impactful, and even emotional, and the highlight of the trip for most. That night, we returned to our hostel. Each person had a private “capsule” bunk, with a locking door and twinkly star lights on the ceiling.

In the morning, we headed out to a local spot for breakfast sandwiches before our guided tour of Habitat 67, led by the amazing guide, Jacob. Habitat 67 was the work of Montreal native and architect Moshe Safdie, designed for Montreal’s World’s Fair in 1967. Habitat 67 is constructed of 354 concrete cubes, built on site, and arranged geometrically. Though Safdie claimed it to not be brutalist, it very much is entirely cold, dim, concrete. The intention behind the design was to be accessible, affordable and community focused, though that is not the current reality. As a group, we were incredibly impressed by Habitat 67’s scale, construction, and history, but were disappointed that the original hope was not actualized.

We next made our way to the Montreal Biosphere, which was previously the United States’ pavilion in Expo 67. Again, the group both admired the structure’s influence and treated it like monkey bars. For lunch, we had Japanese rice balls, and then headed to the Canadian Center for Architecture (CCA), a beautiful, little but powerful museum. CCA’s exhibits included “Oscillating Spaces,” “With an Acre,” and “Records of Protest.” And just like that, our trip to Montreal was over! On the way out of town, we grabbed Tim Hortons and travelled back to Vermont. We left inspired and excited to start construction next week!