by arslan_ahmed | October 11, 2023 1:41 pm
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Dubbeldam Architecture + Design’s Flow House in midtown Toronto blends ceramic arts with Victorian architecture. This 130-year-old semi-detached Victorian home, renovated in 2023, masterfully marries form and function.
Despite its narrow 5-m (16.4-ft) width and 230-m2 (2,476 sf) expansion, the home is spacious, thanks to clever design. The spaces transition from cozy compression to expansive openness, revealing surprises like indoor-outdoor connections and creative use of natural light. The design, influenced by the homeowner’s ceramicist background, celebrates tactility and craftsmanship. The house’s interior elements appear to be sculpted, not just built, featuring fluid contours in contrast to the rectilinear floorplan. A helical staircase bathed in natural light serves as a focal point, embodying the house’s sense of flow.
The space exudes a blend of both Scandinavian and Mediterranean esthetics through the incorporation of materials like cozy white oak, concrete, Carrara marble, vintage brass fixtures, and artisan-crafted clay pendants. Art, tapestries, and sculptures from local artists, along with the owner’s ceramics, decorate the white-walled canvas. Terra cotta tiles and cerulean blue tiles infuse colour into the home’s interstitial spaces.
“Curvilinear forms are employed throughout,” says firm principal, Heather Dubbeldam. “Arched openings between rooms incite anticipation as they frame views of what lies beyond, resonating with curved walls, display nooks, the kitchen island and banquette, further enhancing the house’s sculptural sensibility.”
The house also incorporates sustainable systems, large windows, and skylights to connect with the outdoors. The rear yard mirrors the home’s design philosophy, with stepped-back charcoal-coloured panels creating a roof deck and recessed entrance. Compressed planting beds expand into spaces for play and relaxation, while a wooden pergola and ochre outdoor furniture pay homage to the family’s travel experiences. Lush plantings provide year-round interest, completing the integration of artistry, architecture, and nature in the Flow House.
Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/transformed-toronto-house-pays-ode-to-ceramicists-craft/
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