Rear Addition in Bloor West Village

Now that spring has arrived, construction continues on an addition to a house in the Bloor West Village in Toronto.  In the video below, I explain a little more about the project.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/268443488" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

The primary intent of the project is to better engage the rear yard.  At this stage of construction, the framing allows one to see the volumes in situ.  With the landscape of the rear yard starting to green, the relationship holds promise.  

 

Courtyard, studied.

Over the course of its design development, this project underwent some material and compositional refinements within the courtyard.  The project consists of a detached two car garage, a one storey study with a deck at the back of the house, plus the courtyard between these two structures.

The cladding materials were updated to show primarily a treated wood cladding product at the garage facade, adjacent fencing and deck, with the Study clad in charcoal coloured concrete panels.  Gravel was selected as the ground material to provide a permeable surface for drainage.  Areas for planting were kept at the east and west sides.  The adjustments were made to simplify the number of materials on view, given the relatively small size of the courtyard.  The image above is rendered to show the most sunlight at the summer solstice, when the sun is at its highest.  But how much light would the courtyard receive at other times of the year?

In the image above you can see the noontime sun at the equinox, on March or September 21st.  Due to the lower grade at the vehicle entry and laneway, the height of the garage facade at the courtyard is relatively low.  This allows for some direct sunlight to enter - the chairs and table rendered close to the main house receive partial exposure.  The area of shade at the south may also be desirable at times, given the heat and volatility of the summer season in Toronto.

During the summer solstice (shown above), most of the courtyard is sunlit.  The canopy projection above the corner window of the Study however, provides shade to prevent excessive summer sun from penetrating the house.    

While it may be unwise to be outside during the winter solstice in a T-shirt, note that part of the deck will receive sunlight.  Even at its lowest position, the sun will penetrate through the windows of the Study, without obstruction from the garage. 

From these renderings one can see that a fair amount of sunlight will enliven the courtyard during the warm seasons, providing a variety of conditions to suit one's needs, while mitigating excessive sunlight into the Study in summer.  A sort of sheltered microclimate is created, partly out of program and circumstance, and partly by design. 

While construction is expected to begin soon, the vegetated roof over the garage will not proceed due the client's concerns regarding cost and the maintenance regime required.  Unfortunate, but understandable. 

Cabinetry at the Study and Below Stairs

For this house addition in Toronto, some custom wood veneered cabinetry is desired at the study facing the back yard.  A desk area, open shelving, cupboards, and a bench were requested.  The desk area is centered along the wall, with storage accessible at either side.  A variety of shelving allows for different kinds of storage: out of sight, readily available, and for casual display.

At the bench, a fabric wrapped seat cushion sits over the cabinetry.  Below the seat, there are four drawers for file folders.  The bench is situated below the new corner windows of the addition, and will provide a place to sit, read, or lie down.

At the basement, space under the stair is proposed to be utilized with shelving, accessible with touch release hardware to create a monolithic smooth surface.  Two small and colourful inset cubbies are shown near the apex of the underside of the stair, to exhibit a small number of items. 

 

Custom millwork is often a great opportunity to shape an interior space according to the client's specific requirements, furthering the design intent of the renovation or addition.  Especially in houses that are limited in size, which can benefit significantly from the effective use of available space.  The only downside is that in today's age of flat-pack ready-made cabinetry from big box stores, the cost of specialized local manual labour seems high.  At least, more than the price of self-assembly and an Allen key.

Rear Addition

This project includes an addition at the back of a home in the west end of Toronto on the ground, 2nd and 3rd floors.  The main objectives were to create a lounge and deck facing the backyard, with amenities for the pool.  At the 2nd floor, a study is proposed, with 2 new dormers on the 3rd floor providing headroom and natural light.  A 3 panel sliding glazed pocket door system slides into the wall at the ground level, to create seamless access in warm weather. 

At the lounge a wood ceiling is proposed as well as built in shelving, plus a sliding door between the addition and original house.  The existing brick wall is modified to suit the larger proposed opening, with some brick reused to fill in an existing window nearby.

As construction begins in the cold weather, the contractor created a temporary tent to shelter the concrete block foundation work.  While freezing outside, it was surprisingly warm with the heater.

 

Garage + Amenity

For this project, a new garage is desired to replace the old.  While enclosing two cars had previously been considered, it became evident during the design process that a layout enclosing one car plus an open carport / amenity space would be more useful for this family's needs.

As the rear yard is limited in size, the flexibility of use was deemed important - whether for parking, outdoor dining or lounging.  Within the garage, closets will allow for storage of seasonal items.  One closet faces the exterior for ease of access.

Clad with wood and cement panels, the colour palate relates to the main house.  Glazing at the entry door and the clerestories will allow for natural light to enter the interior.  While a garage is often seen as a prosaic structure, in constrained sites it helps to elevate its quality.