Canadian Contemporary

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY The Northern Home

FOREWORD BY DR. AVI FRIEDMAN EDITED BY HANNAH JENKINS

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FOREWORD DR. AVI FRIEDMAN

The design of Canadian homes has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent decades. Owing primarily to a cohort of talented architects, a unique residential design identity has been established.

In a country as vast as Canada, the second largest land mass in the world, one needs to recognize that regional differences are expected and do exist. Yet, there are similarities between the conditions that the designers of many of the featured projects in this book faced, all rooted in the nature of place.

If one is to survey the geographical make-up of Canada, most provinces can boast large swaths of forested land and ample bodies of water, be they lakes or oceans. The designers of the rural homes creatively embed them in their natural surroundings.

In fact, it seems that a view to the distance has been a prime conceptual consideration. Turning the living areas toward a lake or forest and in some cases both was a principal idea underlining the design of most of the homes. To benefit from the breathtaking views, some designs include large glazed faรงades as if to bring the outside in. Moreover, many of the homes have been placed very close to trees to make them appear part of the forest or to use the trees as a natural shading device in summer time.

Orientation has also played a pivotal role in responding to recent environmental challenges faced by us all.

The openings are south facing for passive solar gain, contributing to a reduction in the use of energyconsuming means of costly mechanical heating.

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

Even in a cold country like Canada where the temperature hovers well below zero, there are ample sunny days in winter time. In addition, the cross ventilation in many of the designs will create natural cooling, reducing the need for air conditioning. Being a northern country with few winter daylight hours means that enjoying them is a priority. As a result, the inclusion of skylights to light darker areas such as hallways and bathrooms is another notable design strategy. The additional natural light is complimented by the use of white walls from which it is reflected.

The innovative use of building materials is another common feature that runs through the design of the homes. The chief building material of low-rise Canadian buildings is lumber. Recent technological development sees the use of wood in the construction of taller buildings as well. The species most used fall under two main categories: softwood—spruce, pine, and cedar; and hardwood—maple and oak. The use of these species is creatively embedded in the exterior and the interior of the homes featured. Internally, the use of wood for flooring, stairs, and even built-in furniture, is highly noticeable. The wood has been varnished to accentuate the material’s natural beauty and expose its grain. In some homes, in addition to visual appeal, it adds a measure of warmth and domesticity to the designs. In others, it suitably contrasts with white walls or dark kitchens.

Broadly speaking, the residences can be grouped in two categories: rural and urban. The designers of all the homes considered, of course, the site’s context while crafting the design. For some, the context implied paying particular attention to the natural surroundings, while others respected the rural architectural vernacular, which they layered with contemporary interpretation. Alternatively, the designers of the urban homes have chosen to ignore the characteristics of the neighbouring homes to introduce new design alternatives that are likely to pave the way to the transformation of the entire neighbourhood. The urban homes are cladded, with masonry clay brick chief among them.

More transformations are expected in the coming years in the Canadian residential landscape.

Responding to environmental challenges, considering new demographic groups, and introducing innovative building technologies and materials are expected to give rise to new design ideas. If the projects featured in this volume are a mark of things to come, the design of Canadian homes will continue to evolve.

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BLUE SKY ARCHITECTURE COMPLETED IN 2016 LOCATED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEATH MOFFATT AND PETER POWLES AREA: 4270 FT² (397 M²)

PROJECT TITLE

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

ARBUTUS HOUSE

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BEACH HOUSE CIBINEL ARCHITECTURE COMPLETED IN 2016 LOCATED IN VICTORIA BEACH, MANITOBA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY GRAJEWSKI/GRAJEWSKI FOTOGRAPH INC. AREA: 2000 FT² (186 M²)

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

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14 Exposed to spectacular sunsets and impressive thunderstorms, the Beach House fully embraces the prairie skies and changing waterscapes. This 2000-square foot (186-square-metre) residence, built by Dyson Construction Ltd., was designed to echo the stoneand-wood cottage vernacular of its surrounding beachside community.

Harmonizing with the landscape, cedar and fir were used both inside and out and emit the natural aesthetic of ageold building materials.

With a playfulness of scale, low rooflines introduce the visitor to lofty interior spaces that celebrate a panoramic view and an ocean-like horizon line of water and sky. The interior is extended outward across the deck with a wall of windows that open to create what feels more like a screened-in porch with a dramatic roof overhang and the summer breeze sweeping through it.

Clad with western red cedar, the roof planes transition to wall surfaces.

Horizontal rough sawn cedar boards on the front and back façades reference the traditional shiplap planking of surrounding cottages. The cedar has been left exposed to allow the wood to silver with age. The interior, while further showcasing wood, introduces raw steel and concrete. Solid fir roof beams are anchored with custom steel rafter ties while a board-formed concrete fireplace with a built-in staircase to a mezzanine anchors the spatial composition.

BEACH HOUSE

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

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The Double Duplex infill project is located on Melbourne Avenue in Parkdale, one of Toronto’s most notable historic neighbourhoods. The existing double-wide site was severed into two separate properties with a four-storey, 3500-square-foot (325-square-metre) detached duplex residence being constructed on each site, allowing property owners to either rent out one of the units to subsidize their own income or to use it as a live/work space.

The unique Parkdale neighbourhood now finds itself home to a burgeoning artist community.

Double Duplex pays tribute to the existing context, the beauty of its craft, and local artistry by making contextual relationships through massing and geometry. Instead of trying to replicate the 19th-century means and methods of the craft the architects focused on contemporizing and reinterpreting the existing condition. As a result, the Double DOUBLE DUPLEX

Second-floor plan

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1 BEDROOM A 2 BEDROOM B 3 BATHROOM 4 MASTER BEDROOM 5 MASTER BATHROOM 6 PRIVATE TERRACE 7.OPEN TO BELOW

First-floor plan

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1 ENTRY 2 COURTYARD 3 STUDY 4 KITCHEN 5 DINING 6 LIVING

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5

1 UPPER UNIT ENTRY 2 BEDROOM A 3 BATHROOM 4 BEDROOM B 5 MASTER BATHROOM 6 MASTER BEDROOM 7 OPEN TO BELOW

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5

1 ENTRY COURTYARD 2 ENTRY 3 STUDY 4 DINING 5 KITCHEN 6 LIVING 7 REAR COURTYARD

Ground-floor plan

Basement floor plan

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10ft

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

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74 Duplex massing emerges as a contemporary response to its context. By using an abstraction of the pervasive bay-and-gable typology, the project becomes a reinterpretation of key architectural elements. These elements include the large bay massing that would usually cover half of the front elevation, the steep roofs and sharp vertical lines, the front balcony, high ceilings with large windows that allow light to reach the depths of the narrow floor plates, and elaborately decorated ornamentation in the form of motifs, mouldings and Brick Expressionism to create rich and textural façades.

The project’s geometry creates formal relationships with neighbouring buildings by mimicking certain structural characteristics, such as window and door opening heights, roof slopes and eaves, and material transitions. By leveraging digital fabrication techniques and using new material technologies for perceptual, spatial, and formal effect the notion of 19th-century craft is translated by way of a two-storey brise soleil. The brise soleil encloses the front and rear balconies, allowing for controlled lighting conditions and privacy. Constructed from a bio‑enhanced, rot-resistant and sustainable softwood the individual pieces are organized to create a dynamic, large-scale façade.

DOUBLE DUPLEX

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

Each duplex residence consists of a two-storey lower unit and a two-storey upper unit. The lower unit is carved out in the front and back with double-height volumes flowing out to sunken courtyards.

The upper unit is organized around a double-height atrium space, which brings natural light and ventilation into the centre of the unit. Two exterior courtyards punctuate either end of the floor plate behind the wooden brise soleil.

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Canadian Contemporary is an outstanding compilation title offering comprehensive insight into Canada’s current residential architecture realm. Stunning full-colour photographs capture an array of stylish designs set amid verdant forests, snow-laden valleys, and stylish urban areas.

The homes featured merge seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and incorporate a variety of natural materials, giving adaptable spaces and savvy design solutions an organic edge. Each project is an innovative example of how the architects interpret the contemporary lifestyles of their clients while honouring Canada’s versatile topography.

Featuring 33 projects by a selection of Canada’s leading

Cover image: © Borzu Talaie (Opposite House)

architects and a foreword by acclaimed Professor of Architecture, Dr. Avi Friedman, this beautifully designed book presents the latest trends in Canadian living and residential home design. $39.95 [USA] £35.00 [GB]