Brock Residence

Type:
Addition, Interior Renovation

Team:
Denegri Bessai Studio

Location:
Toronto, ON

Photography:
Scott Norsworthy

Publications:
The Globe and Mail: Contemporary Living in a 15-foot-wide Victorian Row House

At only fifteen feet wide, this typical three-storey Victorian-semi felt dark and closed in. Our mandate was to flood the entire floorplan with light to create a space appropriate for modern family living. We began by stripping the house back and adding a two-storey addition to the rear, which was conceived as an independent box allowing it to span the entire width of the house. This addition expanded the bedrooms and provided the main floor eating area with full glazing open to the back yard. The kitchen is a narrower width, with light and treetop views via clerestory windows.

The change in width across the main floor also helps to delineate the spaces into the sitting room, kitchen and family room. The clean, light-filled home has white walls that contrast with rich, dark walnut millwork for added texture and useable wall space. By eliminating the formal dining room and transforming the basement into one large wet room and shower space, we created a home that met the needs of this family.