1621 Dundas Street West – Live/work

Desiring larger open spaces for their residence, the Owners settled on a storefront property in downtown Toronto. The building was completely gutted, its structure and foundations repaired and the interior was transformed into a modern, fresh interior that is flooded with light.

The property was unusual in that it had a back yard and parking and many small “court” spaces along its west side due to the odd geometry of the site. The grade also falls from north to south such that the house is a split level. This naturally split the house into two parts – the more boisterous kitchen area adjacent to Dundas and the more private living / dining area with access to a private back yard area. A further grade change “sinks” the parking area so that the cars are not visible from the back yard.

The exposed brick walls contrast with crisp new plaster walls and finely detailed new custom millwork components in rift sawn oak. The floors are also oak, but the material is a sophisticated, eco-engineered product using off-cuts with a natural oiled finish that has no glare, no slip.

A new stair was constructed at the centre of the house to provide access to the roof. This enclosure has glass on two sides and functions as a lantern allowing light to filter into the centre of the house, right down to the ground level.