FERN HOUSE / 2010-2015
Roncesvalles, Toronto, ON
1 500 SF
This project was a piece by piece renovation of a 19th century row house that was tired, dark and cramped. The owners engaged us to help them with a self build make it happen type of project undertaken over a period of about 5 years; the work included landscaping, cladding, kitchen and bathrooms.
The design re-oriented the house by re-imagining the front and back gardens as exterior rooms and making them the focal point of the existing plan. By opening up the house to allow views to the garden rooms, we were able to activate the whole site and make it part of the perceived living space. This also allowed for more natural light.
The entire house was completed on a tight budget. We re-used as much of the original house as possible including the vinyl windows and worn wood floors, which were incorporated into the design to reduce costs.
