Architecture of villas in Toronto

Design of a modern villa in Toronto

Modern Villas; Blurring in and out Territories

When we are asked to imagine a set of complete relaxation, the first image that comes to mind is a place surrounded by nature, in a forest, in the mountains, by the sea, or in a lush meadow. We don’t imagine an office or a shopping mall as a source of comfort and relaxation. However, most people spend 80-90% of their time indoors, going back and forth from houses to workplaces.

This is now our primary responsibility as Architects and designers to search for design solutions that will resonate well into the future, not just respecting nature but also helping to reduce the negative impact of our constructions on planet Earth and turn these solutions into an essential source of inspiration that promotes well-being, health, and emotional comfort.

Human life has been shaped by nature; Having spent 99% of its evolutionary history immersed in natural surroundings, we humans have an instinctive connection to the natural world. A 2022 study shows that an average person spends 90% of their time indoors. Research suggests that the shift from outdoor to indoors has dramatically negatively impacted our emotional and physical wellness, reducing our overall life expectancy and increasing the rapid spread of diseases.

Many researchers outline the benefits of design that embraces nature, and the positive results gleaned from the practice are unquestionable. Being surrounded by natural elements improves our mental health, increases our productivity, and marks an effect on our physical well-being. Designers and architects now realize that a strong connection to nature is beneficial and necessary for safe, productive, and healthy living.

One of the most desired qualities in architectural projects is the connection between interior and exterior. This feature also appears in the major field of modern villa design in Toronto. Focusing on private housing projects in Toronto, we have selected 4 projects that show how a detailed and inventive project can improve the quality of living space by blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor areas; the strategies that have been taken for the design of a modern villa in Toronto includes large glass panels, proper landscaping, appropriate furniture, absorptive materials in the facades, and unique characteristics that each space provides.

1. Skygarden House / Dubbeldam

Located on a narrow lot in a traditional neighborhood, the Sky-garden House provides outdoor living spaces on multiple levels to artistically blur the inside and outside boundaries. In the process of the design of a modern villa in Toronto, the ultimate plan was to create a better connection with the home’s natural surroundings. This project was designed to be the weekend home for the owners next to a stream and surrounded by trees; the owner wanted this house to have a rural experience in a modern urban environment and to provide a deep connection with nature.

The house does not have a large built area, but it feels much more significant. Based on the design of a modern villa in Toronto, rooms expand beyond the interiors to a series of highly usable outdoor spaces that improve the experience with surrounding nature, with their unique character and varying level of privacy.

The plant variation was selected to provide visual interest all year long. The porch from the previous building has become an outdoor dining room surrounded by a tall wood screen and combines the private area into the public space. On the third floor, the design of a modern villa in Toronto has shown itself through two significant outdoor spaces providing green respite.

An exposed roof deck at the back of the house has great views over the neighborhood and into the extensive green canopy surrounding the house. A huge part of the master bedroom is dedicated to an intimate terrace clad in warm ash, with planters and skylights to achieve natural light, and store rainwater, completed with an impressive view of the natural site.

The master suite’s balcony is the “sky garden,” functioning as a unique outdoor room, open to the sky, sun, wind, and stars.

2. Pool House / Tongtong

The multifunctional open-space interiors can quickly transform from pool house to guesthouse to entertainment space to work studio to event space, making this house a great example of the modern villa design in Toronto.

In a lush garden of a large traditional house, the 95-square-meter solidary pool house is a relic from the mid-century era that, over the years, multiple renovations masked its original design.

To redefine the design of a modern villa in Toronto, the architects focused on turning the house into a place that is warm and full of ease and also to emphasize the pool house’s mid-century modern language; the flat roof was accentuated by bringing the roofline forward, creating a floating brow.

To meet the necessities of the modern villa design in Toronto, the windows of this villa have been pushed back from the ceiling to bring sunlight indoors while providing privacy and shade. The exterior cladding, formerly made of stone, is now relined with lighter and warmer cedar slats, and the oval pool, the jewel of this residence, was redefined without changing its form by continuing the patio space in accordance with the flat roof.

The entire composition is made up of new elements layered over top of the existing elements to renovate this beautiful residence accordingly to the modern villa design in Toronto; for example by extending the roof a new floating shelf has been created on top of the pool’s edge.

The interiors have been designed to act as a pool house for the owners, and the open room is punctuated by a giant, freestanding monolith that defines the private and public space. The black millwork multimedia unit that holds IT and audio-visual entertainment equipment is located in the public space while the bedrooms and closets and moved to the more private spaces.

To add playful elements of surprise that works with the modern villa design in Toronto, the bright orange feature wall transcends both the private and public spaces and also makes a private space for the shower and toilet, both of which are enclosed with vibrant colorful glass.

In this project, we see how the program, along with issues of comfort and privacy, evolve and were developed together to make a unique design of a modern villa in Toronto.

Both the outdoor and indoor spaces subtly hint at its mid-century modern aesthetic, creating a simple-oriented environment rich in details and textures to show the modern architecture that has a sense of horizon. The pool house is designed for multiple uses from a small workspace to a living or celebrating area, all is covered in this small yet functioning house. It’s an optimistic, future-positive modern villa design in Toronto.

3. Opposite House / Atelier RZLBD

The Opposite House is a private residence located in rural Toronto that is designed for a professional couple whom both work from home and enjoy an active home entertainment lifestyle. The primary purpose of this design of a modern villa in Toronto was to create a modern dwelling that would offer everything a 21st-century couple might need, including enough space to expand if their family grows in the future.

The house presents a purposely low, dark-brick profile on the northern side, allowing for an unimpeded lake view from all views, even at the north end of the property. To the southern lakefront, the house opens into a 3 meters curtain wall, lozenged in white. The interior, though massive in size, feels quite human in scale, resulting from the space’s precise geometric parsing, something the architect refers to as mathematical poetry that defines a new approach to the modern villa design in Toronto.

The Opposite House is following the same design concept both indoors and out, comfortable and extraordinary, a great harmony between the private and public areas that unifies the entire design as a whole.

Two concepts are used in this design of a modern villa in Toronto: Louis Kahn’s “servant and served” vision, in which private functions are placed on one side, balanced by areas dedicated to yoga and relaxation, and the beautiful scenery of local plants. This concept is interpreted here as the north side is wrapped in dark black, textured brick, and the south side is presented in bright glass and smooth white stucco.

The main hall of the Opposite House forms a central nave that behaves like a spine, with an east-west orientation, along the home’s entire length, bracketed at either end by outsized windows. The foyer is also designed based on the modern villa design in Toronto principals with its large skylight, acts as a north-south transept while intersecting this main line, and reaching the downstairs with the stadium stairway.

4. Waxwing Residence / Ancerl Studio

The Waxwing Residence is a three-level home spread over a large site on a forested ravine lot. The idea of the design of a modern villa in Toronto in this house is fully expressed in the front elevation shaping two wings connected by a transparent, glass bridge inviting the surrounding trees of the ravine to play parts in the interior.

One wing is completely matte black, in contrast with the other wing, which is made of reflective titanium. This modern villa design in Toronto creates a sense of privacy and monumentality. The entrance is made of a slightly curved titanium wall, reaching out to a Zen Garden for relaxation and a warm welcome effect.

According to the design of a modern villa in Toronto, the interior of the house is about openness, views, and invitation to nature. The ground level reaches out and connects the living areas with the back yard that is divided from the indoors with vertically folding hanger glass doors that when open, will make the entire place (indoors and outdoors) a unified and whole place to live, work, hang out and rest.

Like a traditionally designed North American settlers, the “heart” of the home is centrally located, with a panoramic fireplace open to the living area, outside patios, and a private dining room. These elements were designed based on the modern villa design in Toronto approach but were initially rooted in traditional north American architecture and interior design.

This fireplace is a secret, concealed, or simply combined elements such as the entry to the basement, entertainment unit for the living room, a wet bar in the dining room, and a temperature-controlled wine cabinet, as well as movable walls for flexible connections between the office and living areas to meet the needs of the owners by the design of a modern villa in Toronto. Reflecting the outdoors, the upper level is made of two wings: one made of shiny titanium that includes the master bedroom and a matte black wing that is used for kids’ bedrooms.

Both wings are connected by the glass bridge over an expansive green roof populated with indigenous, local plans, with an abundance of light and views. All the elements in Waxwing House have been designed to paint a great picture of modern villa design in Toronto and its architecture.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, there has been a resurgence in modern villa design in Toronto that’s linked to nature, and green spaces can help manage mental health, as well as how homeowners and occupants have access to daylight. With extended indoor stays, the design of a modern villa in Toronto is also looking to form, color, pattern, and texture as it affects our physical, emotional, and mental worlds. Looking at physical health and emotional state of mind, environments should stimulate our senses through architecture and interior design. To make this possible, large windows were added to provide views or make it possible for planting indoors or just letting the warm and soothing sunlight inside.

Another highly used solution in the modern villa design in Toronto is the open floor plan, which is getting renewed attention. An open floor plan is not always functional when it comes to privacy, and this has become an issue as families look for focused attention when working or learning. As we saw in the mentioned projects, addressing this issue in modern villa design in Toronto often involves open kitchens, and smaller spaces like dens can be quiet places to work from home.

References:

Frew, Samantha (n.d), Architizer, accessed 16 Nov 2022

Baldwin, Eric (n.d), Architizer, accessed 16 Nov 2022

Good Architecture (2022), Archdaily, accessed 19 Nov 2022

Stouhi, Dima (2022), Archdaily, accessed 19 Nov 2022

Spaces of Transition, (2022), Archdaily, accessed 16 Nov 2022

Simões, Diogo (2022), Archdaily, accessed 16 Nov 2022

Duduch, Tarsila (2021), Archdaily, accessed 19 Nov 2022

Baldwin, Eric (2020), Archdaily, accessed 19 Nov 2022

Skygarden House, (n.d), Architizer, accessed 17 Nov 2022

Portfolio, (n.d), Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, accessed 19 Nov 2022

Pool House, (n.d), Architizer, accessed 16 Nov 2022

PoolHouse (2014), Archdaily, accessed 16 Nov 2022

Tongtong Renovation (2014), DesignBoom, accessed 17 Nov 2022

Waxwing Residence (n.d), Architizer, accessed 16 Nov 202

Waxwing Residence (2021), Amazing Architecture, accessed 17 Jann

Opposite House (n.d), Architizer, accessed 17 Nov 2022

James Brillon (2016), Dezeen, accessed 16 Nov 2022

The architectural design of villas in Toronto based on the renovation

The reconstruction of a building is one of the most important methods in the consumption of materials, time, and money, and as a result, by reducing the damage to the environment caused by waste production, it is one of the Considered approaches in design.

Architecture of villas in Toronto

When we talk about the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada, perhaps the renovation of a building is not the first thing that comes to mind. But we should know that from the past decades, this approach has been one of the great interests in the field of the architecture of villas in Toronto, and many employers prefer to build their house or villa on the remains of another building. The way that architects deal with the subject of renovating villas in Toronto and turning an old building into a cozy house with diverse spatial quality is a topic that will be discussed in this article to determine the characteristics that designers and employers consider in design and architecture of villas in Toronto area. Be with us by introducing and reviewing the Architectural design of the tower in Toronto .

Design and architecture of villas in Toronto area: 1255 House / Omar Gandhi Architect, 2021

In general, one of the most important features in the architecture of villas in Toronto is their connection with nature. So, the architectural design of villas in Toronto is usually a collection of volumes whit nature among them

Among the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area, 1255 is a reimagining of a family home in the Greater Toronto Area. The building is located on a -small hill on a property north of Lake Ontario and overlooks an abundance of natural features containing a narrow creek wind through the yard, a pond, and a heavily treed woodlot. The clients, who had lived in a home for some time, wanted to experience a greater connection to the natural features around them. So, by working with the existing topography of the site, this project as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada sets out to create strong connections to the surrounding environment to make the most unique property. Therefore, to the designers of this project started their work by focusing on the topography of the site to create a maximum connection with the surrounding environment.

Architectural design of villas in Toronto

The design and architecture of villas in Toronto area and their connection whit nature

As mentioned, most of the architecture of villas in Toronto is in a place that is surrounded by plants and natural elements. You can walk through the trees when you come out of the building or touch the leaves from the window in the architectural design of villas in Toronto. This issue is also present in the design of the 1255 project as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada. While much of the scheme pulls from the previous house, the new villa contains four half-levels that terrace into the hillside. The upper level is a composition of volumes, each of which offers unique views across the building. This view of the surrounding environment is provided by windows throughout the corners in the architectural design of villas in Toronto. When the family wants to come out of the house, they pass through a series of open, communal spaces and at the same time sink deeper into the surrounding garden. A stone deck branches off the main living room and provides direct access to the yard. At the lowest level of this building as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area, the family members find themselves surrounded by flowers and trees. For more information, visit the modern architecture in toronto page.

Space fluidity is another important issue that exists in most of the architecture of villas in Toronto and even renovation projects. In addition to creating dynamic and diverse spaces, this issue allows the nature of the outdoor space to continue in the indoor space in the architectural design of villas in Toronto. Based on this all levels of the house are connected by a large, curved stair made of oak slats. Each wood slat used in the design of the villa is angled to filter natural light throughout the day and to provide visual connections between each half-level.

design and architecture of villas in toronto area

Architectural design of villas in Toronto: Bennington Farmhouse / POST Architecture, 2021

Based on the features of design and architecture of villas in Toronto area, like the previous example, this project was also formed following the client's need for more area and connection with nature.

By passing a short distance from the abandoned railway left over from 1890 in Toronto, we come to a farmhouse located in the Bennington Heights neighborhood. The farmhouse in the list of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada is a renovation project to redefine rural living on an old property.

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While the original structure was too frail to renovate, the owners, who had lived in this villa for about two decades, needed more space. At the same time, they did not want to replace their farm villa with a completely modern one. Therefore, the design and reconstruction of this project required a spatial and physical understanding of rural architecture.

In the process of renovating in Bennington Farmhouse as one of the architectural design of villas in Toronto, a color palette with high contrast was used and the white gable roof was placed next to the newly added parts with dark color. Also, the use of modern construction methods gave way to old methods, and at the same time, the designers did not intend to show the modernity of the new villa as strongly as possible. For example, the new white metal roof no longer overhangs the walls as traditional roofs but is instead separated by a minimal gutter on two sides.

The new floor area was introduced through a series of black, steel-clad volumes of folded sheet metal in varying widths to contrast the original white form. The texture, color, and window treatment on the “additions” are visually different from the light color of the cladding.

One of the most important features not only in this villa but also in most renovation and architecture of villas in Toronto is not using different materials and different color palettes. Wood and stone are the most common materials used in these projects and neutral colors such as white, black, and cream are the dominant colors used in these villas. Native and non-invasive pollinator plants have been used in the garden, and the lush garden features some species that hold nostalgic meaning for the residents in Bennington Farmhouse as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area.

design and architecture of villas in toronto canada

Design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada: Street House / gh3*, 2014

Old houses usually have an introverted and compact state. Therefore, another feature of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada is to create open and bright spaces where the presence of full-length windows causes the outside to flow inside.

The renovation project of the Street House as one of the architectural design of villas in Toronto has been carried out to open up the compact building and create a suitable space for contemporary life and provide different spaces of the villa with natural light.

The architecture of villas in Toronto

Looking at the renovated villas, we realize that preserving the old and historical elements as much as possible is an important principle in the architecture of villas in Toronto. Two methods have been used in the reconstruction of this villa:

Cut: where old and new elements are placed next to each other and create contrast.

Co-existence: preservation of historical and modern elements side by side where the historical element has great value.

In this project, we are faced with a double emphasis on the fluidity of space as one of the most important points in the architecture of villas in Toronto.

The main change in Street House as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada is to remove the exterior brick back wall of the house. This clear delineation allows the exterior to retain the solidly articulated brick, while the interior is pared down and focuses on the essential elements of light, proportion, and volume. This "cut" is expressed through new brick treads that visually separate the chimney and second-floor stairs, floating above the sharp steel line between original and new. This process formed the shearing stage.

The lower part of the external brick walls has been replaced with super-scale glazed walls that enhance the connection to the site of the Street House as one of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area. A new concrete footing creates a new two-sided courtyard that harmonizes the outdoors with the indoors. Inside, starkly contrasting elements include razor-thin aluminum fins that imaginatively cut through the restored crown moldings and vest to achieve pristine, full-height openings that connect the ground-floor formal rooms.

As another point in the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area, in the reconstruction of this project, the old walls that were intact were preserved and thus every corner of this house has its own unique story. Most expressive of this is the north gallery wall, which is the previous openings and floor levels. The restoration leaves intact brick joist pockets, a jack arch, a course of black brick, and exposed yellow brick of an unearthed original wall. Kalbod Company is proud to provide you with all the information you need about the architecture firms in toronto.

Conclusion

Renovation projects are remarkable because they can define a new type of life in an old building while preserving it. In the projects reviewed in this article, there were several key features in the renovation of Toronto villas, which we briefly mention.

One of the most important features of the architecture of villas in Toronto is the spatial flow of expression inside and outside the building. This feature can be considered a result of the nature of this region, which makes people eager to coexist with it. The use of dynamic spaces brings with it large windows that allow natural light to enter the interior, and this is another important feature of the design and architecture of villas in Toronto area.

Another point is that in reconstruction projects, the parts of the building that have the necessary capabilities are preserved and instead of destroying them, they try to integrate them with the features of the new parts. Putting all these factors together makes the renovation and design and architecture of villas in Toronto Canada to be one of the most challenging architectural topics in this area and always attracts employers and designers.