Tiny shoebox homes

"Shoeboxes" (shoe boxes) are small single-family homes that can be found in many parts of Montreal such as Rosemont, Hochelaga, etc.

Built mostly at the beginning of the 20th century by workers, these houses are made of wood and on a single floor and  flat roofs. There are about a thousand of them in Montreal today, including about 560 in the borough of Rosemont La Petite-Patrie.

This type of house no longer fully corresponds to the spaces enjoyed by our families today, these houses tend to disappear a little more. These are fairly small houses on large lots with small rooms. Today, the wide open spaces increasingly appreciated.

Some have greater architectural value than others.
There is therefore a characterisation approach which classifies each shoebox house according to an architectural value.

In order to preserve their basic structure and to maintain a precious link to the history of Montreal and the generations that came before, a regulation protecting the borough of Rosemont—La-Petite-Patrie’s 561 shoebox houses has been introduced.

If you want to buy oneof this tiny house to renovate it or if you already live in one of these old houses and plan to renovate it, we advise you to take note of the specific rules governing their transformation and demolition.

Picture from www.portailconstructo.com