ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Bilateral House in Toronto, Canada by AudaxApril 23rd, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: v2com “Bilateral house is characterized by its two unique façades. The main façade is heritage while the rear is distinctly modern. At first glance, each side appears to be different, however upon a closer look you begin to understand how they are related,” says Gianpiero Pugliese, Principal of Audax. The homeowners of Bilateral House are a married couple with three girls. They purchased a lot with a 116-year-old Period Revival home in a mature picturesque neighbourhood in the city. As avid collectors of contemporary art and vintage furniture, they wanted to build a modern gallery-inspired home with high ceilings to display their collections artfully. However shortly after purchasing their property, the house was designated as Heritage and could not be demolished.  Main façade which was faithfully restored. Demolished brick from the rear was used to build a new integrated garage, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil
 Reconstructed heritage façade with new integrated garage made from existing brick from the rear, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil Responding to the homeowners’ vision and the City’s requirement to keep the front half of the original house, Audax sensitively restored and rebuilt the heritage façade and designed a modern addition in the rear. However, the design solution ensured that both sides of the house still related to each other. To begin, Audax faithfully reconstructed the main façade with restored brick, new stucco and wood trim. Audax also rebuilt the roof to mirror the original design. The main façade materials were then used to clad the new addition on the rear. Black metal was introduced as a new material on both sides of the house to contemporize the look, and to help further tie both façades together.  Exterior detail showing lower original and new higher rooflines stitched together, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  Detail shot showing the original front door and the juxtaposition of heritage on the outside and modern on the inside, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil The original house featured traditional residential windows with mullions and low ceiling heights, which were restored and maintained. On the contrary, the modern addition was designed with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings. To ensure a seamless stitching of old and new portions, the roofline of the addition was strategically positioned to not overwhelm the existing roofline. Audax also reused the brick from the demolished part of the house in the rear, to build a new integrated garage on the main façade.  Entrance foyer with a modern gallery aesthetic, featuring a thin black reveal instead of conventional baseboards, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  The formal living room inside the original portion of the house features traditional elements such as wood floors with a decorative inlay. The homeowners used the heritage part of the home to display their collection of vintage chairs, alongside a striking oversized modern word-art installation (by Commute Design) that separates the living room from the foyer, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil Using traditional principles of architecture, Audax designed the rear façade with a balanced composition by framing the modern glass windows with metal wrapping and using the stucco on opposite ends. The new expansive windows were carefully placed to optimize views of the backyard with some of Toronto’s oldest trees. The design also incorporated a peaked roof with a gable end to pay homage to the traditional architecture of the neighbouring homes.  The main staircase is placed at the intersection where the old and new portions of the building meet, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  The main stair, which separates old and new, features a mix of rough materials and finer materials, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil The interior design strategy followed suit with a design that both honoured the original character of the house and satisfied the homeowners’ affinity for a modern gallery aesthetic. To achieve this duality, Audax integrated old and new elements throughout both portions of the home. For example, the traditional wood flooring in the heritage portion of the house is extended into the modern addition through the centre axis of the house but is then contrasted with contemporary polished concrete flooring on either side.  View from heritage portion along the centre axis of the new extension. The traditional wood floor extends through the centre axis of the new addition and is flanked by polished concrete flooring on either side, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  The furniture arrangement is casual and informal. Custom metal bookcase designed and fabricated by Commute Design, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil Similar juxtapositions of raw and rough materials with refined and smooth materials are overtly expressed throughout the home. The main staircase is placed at the intersection where the old and new portions of the building meet, and also features a mix of rough materials and finer materials. An exposed concrete wall with a steel beam is left unfinished, to contribute to the home’s loft-like gallery feeling, and to artfully highlight the exact location of where both halves of the house are stitched together.  View from the family room looking towards the kitchen inside the new addition. Adding to the gallery atmosphere of the home, the kitchen was modeled after the look and feel of a kitchen showroom, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  View from new addition looking back towards the original portion of the house. The steel beam and exposed concrete wall artfully highlight the junction point of old and new as well as the change in ceiling heights, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil About Audax Founded in 2007, Audax is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm with expertise in the luxury real estate market. Clients include commercial real estate developers, condo developers, celebrity chefs, restaurant and hospitality groups, and affluent homeowners. Audax provides a holistic approach to architecture and interior design. The results of this combined expertise are buildings and interior spaces with a clearly articulated design language and a seamless integration between architecture, interior design, and décor. Under the design leadership of Gianpiero Pugliese, Audax’s projects are diverse in design style. The firm’s work is motivated by Human Architecture, a design approach developed by the studio that combines the best elements of traditional architecture with a modern aesthetic.  While the heritage façade has traditional residential windows with mullions, the rear façade features expansive floor-to-ceiling windows but still references the material palette used on the front. Windows were strategically placed to optimize views of the backyard that is home to some of Toronto’s oldest trees, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  A new sleek terrace and pool is surrounded by the neighbourhood’s mature landscape of towering trees, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil About Gianpiero Pugliese, B.A., MARCH., O.A.A. Gianpiero is a licensed architect the founding principal of Audax. He has a Master of Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied design at the Venice Institute of Architecture in Italy. His current work at Audax explores the relationship between traditional design principles and the modern aesthetic. This approach, which he coined as Human Architecture, aims to bring the tactile, relatable and human-scaled elements that were lost during the Modern period back into contemporary design. The results of using this approach are buildings and interior spaces that appeal to those who admire the warmth and detailing of traditional architecture but also appreciate modern design. Gianpiero is a faculty member of The Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at The University of Toronto. He also formerly sat on the University’s faculty council as the representative from the Ontario Association of Architects.  Master bedroom inside the new addition. The bed faces floor-to-ceiling windows with picturesque views of tall treetops in the backyard. The room is animated with a dance of shadows and light as the sun filters through the leaves, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  View inside the peaked gable end. This unexpected surprise on the third floor provides a private retreat for any family member and a cozy spot to take in views of the backyard, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  Exterior rear facade – dusk. To create a balanced composition, Audax framed the modern glass windows with metal cladding and used stucco on opposite ends. A peaked gable end pays homage to the architecture of surrounding homes, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  One of three children bedrooms inside the heritage portion of the home, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  Three identical sliding doors for the kid bedrooms playfully line up next to each other on the second floor, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  The feature stair which separates old and new features a mix of rough materials and finer materials, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  View inside the peaked gable end. This unexpected surprise on the third floor provides a private retreat for any family member and a cozy spot to take in views of the backyard, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  The interior décor features contrasting colours, materials and textures. Light and soft fabrics are mixed with dark and sturdy materials such as metal, concrete and wood. A modern bay window provides a place to sit and relax or to enjoy views of the backyard, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil  Master ensuite bathroom with a sliding frosted glass privacy panel. On the right the homeowner displays her vintage mirror collection. On the left is an antique bench that was restored, Image Courtesy © Shai Gil
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Categories: House, Residential |
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