The renovations and addition to an existing house were undertaken to provide a program of open living spaces in a building designed to be energy efficient through the use of passive technologies.
The existing two-storey detached house shares a 30-foot wide urban lot in the Bathurst & Queen area of Toronto with a mature “tree of heaven” in the city frontage and a large garage in a former industrial building on the back lane.
New openings at the front & rear have new wood-framed windows, & the entire masonry fabric is stained dark gray. The existing hipped roof is replaced by a new vegetated roof which is penetrated by a new glazed monitor.
A new single-storey addition clad in prefinished metal and containing living space is constructed at the level of the backyard. Its roof serves as a terrace accessed from the second floor bedroom. A new masonry chimney with two fireplaces connects the addition and the existing house.
Inside, a new slot of space containing a suspended stair brings light & natural ventilation to all floors. Heating & cooling is provided by a hydronic system in floors & ceilings with geothermal heat exchange.
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