Minimalist High Performance Home

Toronto Minimalist High Performance Home

Project Description

This custom high performance Toronto family home is energy efficient and minimalist: uniting the client’s twin goals of building a finely-tuned and efficient home for their family and lifestyle, as well as a beautiful simple expression of their aesthetic values.

The design has a simple exterior clad in fibre-cement panels, while the interior is organized around a central wood-panelled “core” element that rises from the basement through the first floor and second floors. This core unites the three levels and also divides the space on each level. This core integrates the stairs, mechanical and service shafts, the fridge and pantry (on the ground floor), as well as the storage space.

The main living area has a full-width triple-pane retractable glass wall that opens up to the backyard
patio with an external louvred pergola with retractable screens to extend the living space outdoors and create an additional three-season outdoor living room.

We worked with the structural and mechanical engineers to ensure the building was durable, while also very open and bright. A 1hr-rated fire shutter on the exterior of the kitchen window means that even though the setback to the property line for the sidewall of the house is such that a window is not normally permitted, we were able to include one.

On the exterior, a flush garage door is clad in the same material as the walls so the garage blends
seamlessly into the house. We are using very large fibre-cement panels with minimal joints and have closely coordinated the sizing of the panels to ensure they fit within the overall pattern of the building’s exterior.

The landscaping for the project is inspired by natural “wild” gardens with a fast-growing and sculptural
birch tree and many flowering herbs and perennial plants. This results in a low-maintenance and
pollinator friendly yard that will also help shade the house and driveway in the summer.