Two tall maple trees stand close together at the top of the site. The small residential lot is very, very steep. To add a structure, we needed to interrupt the slope with two concrete retaining walls that extended from the topography out to the street. The top of both walls is at the same level, just beneath the canopies of the trees. From this anchor in the site, a small house can sit level over a steep hill, covered by the foliage of the maples.
Although these walls are cast from concrete, they are formed with wood. Vertical spruce grain is imprinted along the walls to soften their nature, but also to allow ivy and vine to grip them.
From the street, sheets of galvanized steel grate lead to the front door, meandering by the trunks of the maples. These grates allow snow and sunlight to pass through the steps. Plants grow beneath them in the summer season. Dirt falls away from boots in the spring. No need to shovel them in the winter.
The house that sits on the walls is a playful natural zinc clad form, shaped by by-laws, dodging views from neighbours, and respecting the presence of the trees above.
Inside the small house, deliberate openings bring the trunks of the trees into the living room. Skylights are shaded by the shadows of swaying layers of leaves. Even though the living space is physically close to two neighbours, there are no visual connections to them. There is a sense of distance and privacy that contradicts the scale of the project.
The house is only 53 square meters on one storey. The kitchen counter spans across the living room and mudroom. A very thick partition wall separates the public space from the bedroom and washroom. The thick wall itself is a room, housing mechanical equipment, acoustic insulation and storage – creating a weighted threshold between the public and private places in the house.
Over the years, vines will grow on the walls. Plants will spread beneath the grates, and leaves will span over the zinc that is oxidizing. Green will envelope the grey as the building settles into its place.
Location: Toronto
Type: Garden Suite, ADU, Residential
Status: Under Construction
Builder: Mike Veenhuizen
Structure: Kieffer Structural Engineering Ltd
