Design Inspiration – Custom Home Project

What was the challenge?

When the couple first immigrated to Canada they moved to Richmond Hill and lived in the same address for 20 years. They always pictured a dreamhouse with as many luxurious features as possible. While this presented us with a great opportunity to build a lavish dream home, it was also a challenge to fit all the features in one space.

The clients’ main wish was to have an open concept, “no walls”, design. They wanted a feeling of openness as soon as you walked in the home that extended to the backyard. To achieve this, we, not only hid structure within features such as the fireplace and wine cellar walls as previously mentioned, but we also designed a double-height foyer and living room with a bridge on the second floor to provide exquisite views across the home from the second floor.

What was delivered?

With an open, north-eastern exposure, Parkway Residence is designed to capitalize on the natural light available in this corner-lot property and maximize the connection between interior and exterior living spaces. 

The two-storey home is conceptualized as an L-shaped volume creating the feeling of an open façade at the front of the house and a private courtyard in the back. This courtyard is visually unified to the interior of the home via a 26-foot-long glazed wall. This approach was important to the client, a married couple, because it creates a continuous connection between interior and exterior spaces as you move through the home. Additional features the client wished to enjoy includes, a resort-like back yard with a pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, and a covered pergola. 

Finding a balance between the couples’ individual tastes – the gentleman preferred a classical esthetic and the lady a more modern look – the design of the exterior had to bridge and compliment their styles. We used a combination of limestone, brick, stucco, aluminum siding, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls, to create the perfect balance between modern and classic. 

Access to the backyard is on the north side with a 30-foot setback which was achieved by going to the committee of adjustment. Landscaping features are used to create a grand entrance that also compliments the exterior design. The site has a natural dip in the front of the property, which we resolved by building an underground culvert to divert water from flowing towards the house. 

The client also requested an open concept floor plan with as few walls as possible. This challenge was solved by cleverly hiding structure within features such as the fireplace and wine cellar walls etc.