Vernacular architecture of Canada

[MolsonExport]

What are some vernacular architecture styles that is unique to certain cities?


In terms of architectural vernacular, does any other North American city have the plethora of outdoor staircases that Montreal does (despite the awful winters in Montreal)? And I am not talking about fire escape staircases, like those in NYC.

Massive Swathes of the city look like this:



Today, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 outdoor staircases remain in the city.

For further reading on Montreal's outdoor staircases: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/montreal-plexes-outdoor-staircases

[MolsonExport]

Unique to the West Coast, the "Vancouver Special" comes to mind. I was surprised to see these funny-looking homes when I first moved to Vancouver (from Montreal) in the early 90s:







More on this unique style: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_special

[jonny24]

Toronto's Bay + Gable might qualify.

Not specific to a city (almost by definition) but the Ontario Farmhouse aka Gothic Cottage, may not be unique to Ontario, but but the sheer quantity of them throughout SWO is impressive, as is the variety of materials and combinations of the basic format.

https://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/gothicottage.htm

Most of the examples on that page are the basic format, rectangle with 1 cross gable:



but once you're looking for them you realize how may farmhouses are that, or two of those teed into each other:



or three of them smushed together like this:



(that last one is mine)

But they are everywhere. I drive about 30 minutes to work and I pass at least a rural properties with this style. And they exist in their smaller form within cities (well, Hamilton and Brantford anyway) as small workers cottages.

[James Bond Agent 007]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6658716,..._ep=EgoyMDI1MDcxNS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

And:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9586,-78..._ep=EgoyMDI1MDcxNS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[mleblanc]

Although not quite as noticeable as the Montreal staircases, Halifax has the Storm Porch.





Image sources and a fun little blog post

[O-tacular]

Is there such thing as an Eddy Savoie vernacular?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by mleblanc

Although not quite as noticeable as the Montreal staircases, Halifax has the Storm Porch.

You can see five-sided "Scottish dormers" in the last photo (often they're on ~1850 or older buildings). That was a building style popular in the UK that got transplanted to NS; in Scotland it is mostly stone buildings, while many in Halifax are wood.

Tall foundations in Halifax are common too. It's common to have a sort of half-height floor on the bottom, stairs up, and then dormers with windows in the roof level. The simplest old houses are just a box style with a flat roof and no storm porch, with or without small ledges over the windows and door.

The overall heritage housing stock is very eclectic and attractive. I get the feeling it's not as well known with visitors as you have to go out to the neighbourhoods to really see the good stuff, whereas in smaller towns in the region these buildings are more immediately encountered on foot.

I've also noticed that in recent years it is getting a bit blander in some cases. There's a trend toward monotone design and this has impacted how people choose to paint their heritage homes. I wonder if that second masonry house would have been painted stucco originally.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by someone123

You can see five-sided "Scottish dormers" in the last photo (often they're on ~1850 or older buildings). That was a building style popular in the UK that got transplanted to NS; in Scotland it is mostly stone buildings, while many in Halifax are wood.

Tall foundations in Halifax are common too. It's common to have a sort of half-height floor on the bottom, stairs up, and then dormers with windows in the roof level. The simplest old houses are just a box style with a flat roof and no storm porch, with or without small ledges over the windows and door.

The overall heritage housing stock is very eclectic and attractive. I get the feeling it's not as well known with visitors as you have to go out to the neighbourhoods to really see the good stuff, whereas in smaller towns in the region these buildings are more immediately encountered on foot.

I've also noticed that in recent years it is getting a bit blander in some cases. There's a trend toward monotone design and this has impacted how people choose to paint their heritage homes. I wonder if that second masonry house would have been painted stucco originally.

That contrasts with the day-glo paint jobs that one sees on a number of Montreal greystones. I think it looks wrong, but it seems to be popular.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by someone123

Tall foundations in Halifax are common too. It's common to have a sort of half-height floor on the bottom, stairs up, and then dormers with windows in the roof level.

Dynamiting the rock to build a basement was probably overkill? I wonder if Saint John, NB or St. John's, NL are similar?

[niwell]

For Toronto it's absolutely the Bay and Gable house. Which can be fully detached but is most commonly found in semi-detached or terraced rows. Speaking of colour the brick was often traditionally painted over, but renovations tend to sandblast it back.

Stereotypical example:




There's also this style of semi-detached all over Old Toronto in areas usually built after WWI: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ToL1GtSTanMfDnkv8

It's not totally unique to Toronto but lots in the city tend to be much narrower than anywhere else in Southern Ontario so the form they take is instantly recognizable. The interior layout is almost entirely the same too - walk into a living/family room with kitchen at back and 3 bedrooms upstairs. Lots have the plumbing from an original kitchen upstairs as they would have traditionally housed two families (and lots are still 2-3 separate apartments).

[SignalHillHiker]

Thought about this the other day. Knew instantly it was here:

[MolsonExport]

Newfoundland vernacular architecture is quite famous. Well deserved, too.

[Djeffery]

I think yellow brick is a mainly, although certainly not exclusively, a southern Ontario thing as well. I had never really thought about it until I saw that mentioned somewhere sometime back (maybe even on here) and then started noticing how many yellow brick houses there are in London's older areas.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I think yellow brick is a mainly, although certainly not exclusively, a southern Ontario thing as well. I had never really thought about it until I saw that mentioned somewhere sometime back (maybe even on here) and then started noticing how many yellow brick houses there are in London's older areas.

Particularly a Southwestern Ontario thing too. London in particular but Stratford has a bunch as well. You can find a few examples in Toronto but it's pretty rare.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by niwell

Particularly a Southwestern Ontario thing too. London in particular but Stratford has a bunch as well. You can find a few examples in Toronto but it's pretty rare.

Also in Kitchener, where many red and also buff brick houses had dark green painted trim. It's a combination you see less and less of.

[SignalHillHiker]

I didn't realize storm porches were a Halifax thing. I associate them with St. Pierre et Miquelon.









They're not especially common in St. John's, but do exist - they're kind of an in-between income class that I guess was rare here? Most are working class flat front like mine, and the rest are either bay windowed with an interior porch, or grander with more elaborate entrances. But there are more than a few:

[niwell]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Also in Kitchener, where many red and also buff brick houses had dark green painted trim. It's a combination you see less and less of.

I didn't want to guess KW as I'm not as familiar with that area, but cool to know! I saw a few houses with that combo when I was in Stratford the other weekend, but there's probably a higher percentage in parts of that city who care about maintaining the historic character of their homes than on average (complete with historic plaques). I'm sure there are better examples but this was just down the street from the house my friend's parents own: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NiCAzCvV6sMmsCgD6

[Architype]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I didn't realize storm porches were a Halifax thing. I associate them with St. Pierre et Miquelon.

...

They're not especially common in St. John's, but do exist - they're kind of an in-between income class that I guess was rare here? Most are working class flat front like mine, and the rest are either bay windowed with an interior porch, or grander with more elaborate entrances. But there are more than a few:

Perhaps not a part of the original architecture, but enclosed porches, many added later, are one of the most common features of NL architecture, so much so, that the word "porch" automatically means an entrance space that is enclosed.

This street range (not typical), is one of the earliest examples of public or cooperatively built housing in SJ I think (1920), but all the porches were added later, as was typical.



https://maps.app.goo.gl/afM6JzvDcqdtQfda9

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

What are some vernacular architecture styles that is unique to certain cities?


In terms of architectural vernacular, does any other North American city have the plethora of outdoor staircases that Montreal does (despite the awful winters in Montreal)? And I am not talking about fire escape staircases, like those in NYC.

Massive Swathes of the city look like this:....

Today, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 outdoor staircases remain in the city.

For further reading on Montreal's outdoor staircases: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/montreal-plexes-outdoor-staircases

I've always found it odd that a city renowned for cold, snowy winters went all-in on outdoor staircases. Why didn't they just tuck them inside? Two doors on one corner one leading into the ground floor unit and one with interior stairs leading up?

[SignalHillHiker]

Merrymeeting! Those definitely count as storm porches, yeah, Architype. I could be wrong but doesn't really change my impression they're not common at all here? With the caveat I haven't committed to memory nor care what's beyond Empire Avenue lol