House for a Family with Children in Toronto

Owners of a residence in Toronto, Canada, commissioned the firm DUBBELDAM Architecture + Design to create a project that transforms two separate buildings into one cozy home for a family. The architects developed a new solution for open space, which includes an interior courtyard and an extension of the kitchen and dining room onto the outdoors. The open-plan interior is divided by wooden partitions. These differ from the overall wall surface design and connect different areas of the house through openings. In the hallway, such a partition is made from oak wood and solid transparent panels that allow changing the view of other rooms.

The first floor is organized around a central volume that conceals storage areas, ventilation ducts, and structural elements of the gas fireplace, as well as creating a seating area. The bathroom is clad with smooth white marble, giving the impression of an interior shell of a sea shell. While the external side of the space is composed of open and closed sections of white oak and limestone. On the second floor are the dining room and kitchen. This part is separated by a volume where a hidden bar behind panels, wine cooler, and television were designed. Just as the interior spaces are connected through openings and the use of wood in decoration, the two separate buildings on one plot are inseparably linked by large windows and similar finishing materials.

Photos: Tom Arban, Bob Gundu