Riverdale House
A new house project in the heart of Toronto’s Riverdale district with a narrow lot and strict zoning, set limitations for the massing and provided unique design challenges. Innovative solutions for natural light, open plan, passage and connectivity support the client’s space programming requirements. With no openings permitted on the sides of the house, windows were introduced through jogs in the exterior walls to increase natural light throughout the plan. A small brick façade extends forward in reference to the traditional surrounding residential fabric while the third floor is set back to respect the two-storey heights of adjacent house fronts. While the front of the house is more private, the full glass rear façade and roof terraces serve to open the house and extend the living spaces.
The open floor plan creates a feeling of spaciousness in an otherwise narrow house, with areas defined by built-in furniture, screens or shifts in the plan. A bamboo grove extends up through an atrium at the centre of the house to an extensive third floor skylight. Framed by circulation passages and open riser stairs, the atrium gradually increases in size, serving as a funnel that floods each floor with light. The bamboo grove distinguishes the core and transitional spaces of the house and is a symbol of the life and time of the house, growing through the years with its occupants. Environmental sustainability is worked into the design in many ways including natural ventilation and passive solar heating, natural light sources, a green roof and renewable flooring materials.
Project Details & Credits
Location: Toronto
Size: 2,150 s.f.
Project Team: Heather Dubbeldam, Tania Ursomarzo, Katya Marshall, Katrina Touw
Renderings: Andrea Macecek, Colin Viebrock, Eric Van Ziffle
