Tiny En Suite

For this interior renovation to a house in Toronto's Seaton Village, the client wanted to build an en suite washroom to complement the master bedroom.  A shower, sink and toilet were required, while maintaining the 3 bedrooms and the existing washroom on the 2nd floor.  Some home owners might be tempted to remove one of the bedrooms, but value was seen in keeping the 3.  The design solution was to reduce the size of the existing washroom, sacrifice the bank of closets between the middle bedroom and existing washroom, and create a new narrow en suite washroom a mere few feet wide.  The middle bedroom, while slightly smaller, remains useable.

 

The contractor at one point asked me: "Is this the smallest washroom you've ever designed?".  Well, yes.  Here it was important to select and position the right fixtures, hardware, inset shelving and heated towel rack.  The sliding door - repurposed from one of the demolished closets - was also critical to avoid awkward circulation.

Although one of the homeowners is fairly tall, they report that the space suits them well.  The shower door swings in both directions, which eases movement.  Once inside the shower stall, there is plenty of elbow room.

The one drawback to the tiny en suite is that a small sink is not the best for splashing about.  Care is needed when washing ones face, and good aim is required when brushing teeth.  On greater balance though, that is a small concession for a compact and useful room inserted within the 2nd floor plan.

Rear Addition in Little Italy

This project involves a renovation and addition to single family dwelling in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood.  While portions the interior will be revised, the main components are a new basement unit with a dedicated entrance and expanded bedroom, plus a one storey addition at the ground level facing the back yard.

 

The rear addition will have generous glazing to admit natural light at the ground level, while the canopy will provide shade from a high summer sun.  The floor of the addition will be a few risers lower than the rest of the ground floor, to have a cascading effect while travelling towards the garden.  Underneath, the basement unit bedroom will have a well to allow for an operable window looking towards the new basement entrance.  A new window will also be added at the existing basement wall adjacent to the steps, to increase natural light in the living area.

Currently, demolition is underway, revealing the existing condition of things.  Not surprisingly, this house appears to have been renovated a couple of times over the years by previous owners, as unusual conditions appear.  

One can see in these old houses the do-it-yourself ethos of a few generations ago.  Owners took the initiative to finish basements, install washrooms, ductwork, etc.  The focus changes nowadays; with thermal insulation, heating efficiency, weather tightness and rental potential taking on a greater importance, to respond to higher utility bills and revenue flexibility.

Competition Entry - New Theater Facade

A design competition requested entrants to propose a new facade adjacent to the historical art-deco County Theater in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.  Its criteria included: designing a facade that is contextual to the existing theater and the surrounding historical main street commercial facades, enhancing the pedestrian experience and addressing the functional layout of the new addition.  My entry created a curving copper and glass facade, with an area for street furniture at sidewalk level.

 

Doylestown is in the south-east of Pennsylvania, about 30km north of Philadelphia.  Its main streets have numerous 2 to 3 storey masonry buildings that are considered to be of historical value.  The County Theater's facade is an elegant expression of the machine age, with distinct yellow and blue metal panels.  Creating a new facade that relates to these contexts, as well as being of the 21st century, was part of the challenge.  The building next door - a clothing shop - will be demolished to make way for the new theatre expansion.

 

At the ground floor interior, cafe seating was envisioned, with extensive glazing providing a clear relationship to the street life.  Exiting from the new theater would also spill out onto the sidewalk.  Adjacent to the existing County Theater facade, benches and landscaping would provide a meeting space for the town, with a light fixture above.  Its purpose would be for patrons to wait and review showtimes on their mobile devices, for residents to take a break while shopping, or as a meeting point.  The expression of this area referenced the yellow and blue of the existing facade, with bright blue benches and a circular yellow light.

Among the criteria was the request to incorporate a conference room and offices.  On the 2nd floor, a large glazed area represents the conference space, while the strip window provides natural light for the offices.  The inset curve of the facade was intended to act deferentially to the existing theater while providing the space for the meeting point at street level.  The choice of non-patinating copper as the cladding material was a response to both the industrial quality of the theater, as well as the more traditional materials of the adjacent commercial buildings.  It would express a metallic reflectivity as well as a sense of permanence.

 

While I have'nt been to Doylestown, it reminds me of towns and small cities here in southern Ontario.  Places like Waterloo or Dundas have a main street charm that is simultaneously distinct and appealing but also fragile, in the sense that the few buildings of historical merit can be overwhelmed by new developments.  This disruption of a town's historical character can be a point of contention for its residents.  I think this is why the competition was held in the first place - to tackle this question of how to address history without being entirely subservient to old building styles, while also looking towards the future. 

Accessibility and Renewal - Part II

An accessible entry was required for this historical church in Toronto's west end.  St. Anne's Anglican Church was built in 1908, though at that time access for those with mobility issues or in wheelchairs was not a consideration.  A new ramp, steps, and glazed entry doors comprised the exterior portion of the project.

 

The design objective was to create a gently sloping ramp with accompanying steps at the side of the church closest to the parking lot while respecting the existing character of the building.  Until recently, a 1:12 slope has been considered acceptable within accessible design guidelines - however this ramp is at 1:20, which is much more comfortable for a broader spectrum of users.  Planters beside the ramp and steps, awaiting greenery, will enhance the entry experience.  The distance between grades allowed for handrails without solid guards, hence one can see through to the historical facade.

Other accessibility features include a detectable warning surface at the top of the steps with a grid of stainless steel buttons, and textured inserts at the tread nosings.  The new bronze coloured double doors are asymmetrical to conform to width requirements.  As users we typically don't think too much about pushing a button for entry, but the various scenarios involving manual entry, emergency exiting, push button entry / exiting and security means that the electrical components connecting the push buttons, door operator, latches and panic hardware for these doors are fairly sophisticated. 

This small renovation, including the new accessible washroom within, gives this building the ability to accept the broadest spectrum of people, thereby increasing its purpose and usefulness.

Structural Engineer: Blackwell Engineering

Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: MMM Consulting Group

Contractor: DJ McRae Contractors

Accessibility and Renewal

For this renovation currently underway, a barrier free washroom, plus a small prep area were part of the scope of work.  St. Anne's Anglican Church in the west end of Toronto is a historically designated building, with the new work designed for user convenience and deference to the original qualities of this grand old church.  There are elements that are new, retained, salvaged, and recreated.

At the prep area, the entry door and frame (visible on the right) was replaced due to accessible width requirements, though faithful in profile and colour to the original doors of the 1908 building.  An existing suspended light fixture was shifted from its original location a few meters away.  While this fixture was installed at a later time in the 1960's, it was seen as an elegant piece worth keeping.  The new wood veneered cabinetry, tile and stone surfaces were selected in context with the existing material palate throughout.  The void at the bottom right awaits a small fridge.

While the new washroom consists of two plumbing fixtures, there are a number of requirements to meet for barrier-free wheelchair accessibility.  Amongst these are automatic door operators and push buttons, a clear turning circle area, grab bars, an emergency button with alarm, motion sensor lighting, and a reachable coat hook.  Mechanical exhaust was introduced to ensure an adequate exchange rate of air.  At one corner, an existing stained glass window was retained, providing colour to the room.  While this glass artwork may be moved at a later date, for now it animates what would otherwise be a primarily pragmatic space.

I was asked by the contractor why the interior walls within these rooms were not entirely covered with new gypsum board.  Some of the walls were not resurfaced - just repainted.  The practical answer is that it costs less to apply a coat of paint on an existing surface instead of applying drywall and furring, plus it would take up that extra 16mm – 38mm of interior space.  But the more abstract reason is that the application of new materials can coexist with the old, to create a dialogue with elements that express their age.  In other words, the patina of the historical building – with slight imperfections and aged materials - can shine through when relating to the new.