Situated in one of Toronto’s earliest garden suburbs, this designated heritage residence (1924) has been restored, renovated and re-invented.  The project also features two modern additions; a brick shingle-clad side extension and a one-story, rear glass box projection.
 
The side addition fills in the missing tooth of the street – formerly the side yard – on this anomalous double-lot and echoes the scale and massing of the existing structure.  A glass gap separates the brick heritage piece and a new shadow-like extrusion.  The wide, but shallow depth of the house allows all existing, mature trees to be maintained and also provides generous access to natural light.
 
The new one-story glass enclosure heightens the visual connection and openness on the rear elevation that was previously dark and solid. The sliding panels of the glass box open to a new concrete terrace with steps into a pool.
 
Particular interest was given to updating the amenities of the historical house with responsible sustainable materials and building systems: the use of grey water re-circulation system, recycled brick masonry (from demolished areas of the original structure), low VOC millwork finishes, local wood, in-floor heating, green roof and rain barrel water management systems.
 
Modern interventions celebrate the existing heritage features and add new but familiar materiality, colour, and texture in the form of wood, brick, stone, curves and arches, and a sculptural four-storey feature stair that weaves through the original house.