Hepbourne Street House

Type:
Addition,
Interior Renovation

Team:
Denegri Bessai Studio

Location:
Toronto, ON

Photography:
Scott Norsworthy,
Jesse Jackson

This unusual project near Bloor and Ossington Streets unfolds from back to front. The scope gradually evolves forward through a redesign of the rear garage, garden, courtyard, deck, kitchen and all the way to the porch at the front of the house. Together with the client, who is a filmmaker, we envisioned each phase of the project as a fluid series of ‘stills’ or ‘frames’, each one capturing a specific activity and punctuated by a change in material, from concrete to wood to stainless steel.

The new fir lined garage/workshop functions as an additional room that opens fully to the inner courtyard, creating a continuous hardscape for the diverse activities of family life. Inside, the clean, modern space flows from the open kitchen’s uncompromising lines to the undulating, custom-engineered feature wall in the front entry crafted from natural finished fir plywood. From the street, the low porch guard and front window marry with the glass front door to maximize light. The landscaping echoes the porch’s lines and gently steps down to meet the sidewalk. Across the entire property, a sense of clean geometry and well-placed materials provide a streamlined, well-conceived, contemporary home.