Uncover-Recover House
Toronto, Ontario
[a+id+la] Residential
170 sqm | 1845 sqft
2023
 
Project Team large [medium] design office
Nadia Cannataro, Francesco Martire
Structural Blackwell
Mechanical Elite H.V.A.C. Designs

The project is a full renovation of an 1845 sq ft three storey Victorian semi in the west end of Toronto.  The project uncovers space hidden away from multiple previous owners and repurposes it for the young family of four to occupy in new ways. 

The reinvented ground floor is a continuous space moving from entry, to living, to dining, to kitchen, and through a new large window and sliding door to exterior space. 

The focus of the project is the staircase flanked by a sinuous set of gypsum board planes, as it rises from the basement through all three floors.  The planes are a scaled up interpretation of the ornament characterstic of Victorian architecture. 

The existing street facade with its Victorian proportions and detailing were kept intact.  New windows were installed in existing openings, and  three restored stained glass units were placed neatly behind the new glass to paint the white walls with the sun shining through the coloured glass.  The rear of the home was transformed with a large new opening on the ground floor and new black wood cladding.