Photography by Shai Gil In its second life as a sauna, this former ice-storage hut retains its original modest pitched-roof shell. However, the insertion of yellow-trimmed round and capsule-slit windows contrasting against the dark-green cladding hint at the predominance of curving shapes, in plan and elevation, inside. An instant Stonehenge of tall sculptural split-stone slabs frames…

Photography by Vincent van den Brink Guided by a mandate to be authentic but not traditional, Japanese references are filtered through a contemporary and coastal lens, avoiding the predictable visual shorthand often associated with pan-Asian resto interiors. Rather than recreating a stylized Tokyo streetscape, the design draws from material atmosphere and cultural overlap, blending the calm…

Photography by Niamh Barry The second phase of a wedding and event venue begun in 2020 transforms a former agricultural barn into a gathering space shaped as much by atmosphere as function. Rather than falling into overt historicism clichés, the design draws selectively from Gothic architecture to create a sense of quiet reverence suited to weddings…

Photography by Chris Amat Is there a better story than a love story? Inside Ottawa’s beloved Fairmont Château Laurier, the interior redesign of Wilfrid’s and Zoe’s embraces not just the grandeur of the landmark hotel, but also a deliberate dualism inspired by the extraordinary 50-year romance of Zoé Lafontaine and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Zoe’s, conceived as…

Photography by Larry Goldstein Photography References to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean culture are filtered here through a contemporary hospitality lens that feels atmospheric rather than thematic. Instead of relying on familiar visual tropes, the restaurant builds its identity through materiality and spatial layering. Inspired loosely by lacquerware and the structure of a bento box, the interior…

Photography by Félix Michaud In Montréal’s Rosemont district, Café Even is a 1,170-sq.-ft. roastery and coffee bar that riffs on domestic intimacy and industrial clarity. A collaboration with coffee roaster Andrew Werbowyj, the space channels the alchemy of the perfect pour-over into a tactile experience. Entry is through a curved cork threshold, veiled by a silver…

Photography by Riley Snelling This pasta diner wrapped in architectural restraint is housed in a former carriage house turned auto shop in Toronto’s Little Italy, and exudes its working-class DNA: unpolished, honest, and unpretentious. The design team embraced this ethos, paring the palette down to brick, steel, and wood, elemental materials as familiar as flour, water,…

Photography by Paul Dussault Hard to miss as one enters the small town of Shannon, a one-hour drive northwest of Québec City, Chez Denise is a nostalgic snack bar with a mission both personal and public. Conceived with three sons as a tribute to their late mother, Denise, the project merges vernacular warmth with retro-optimism to…