Bellwoods
Semi Duplex
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Size: 3 Storeys, 162m2 / 1,740 sf above ground
Program: 2 Unit Private Residence
Year: 2022-25
Status: Construction Complete, Landscape Underway
Architectural Team: Jon Cummings
Architectural Services: Schematic Design, Design Development, Interior Design, Construction Documents, Permit Application, Construction Administration
Collaborators: Contact Engineering (Structural), Elite HVAC (Mechanical), Lijn Contracting (Contractor)
This project is a renovation of an existing 2-unit semi-detached home near Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park. The focus is predominately on the lower unit for the homeowner’s own use, reserving the upper unit as a rental. Lightwells will be carved from the front and rear yards, bringing daylight down to the new floor level of the underpinned basement. In the rear yard, an existing single storey extension will be removed to create a more generous outdoor seating area. Each façade will be reclad and reinsulated, with a lime slurry applied over the existing brick areas to allow moisture to properly move through the wall. The mechanical system will upgraded to an energy efficient heat pump. The front façade is an architecture of collage, harmonizing an existing wood Tuscan column and existing oriel window with a new porch, new stairs and wood screens. For the interiors, the goal is similarly to bring coherence between old elements from the home (intricate patterned hardwood floors, cove ceilings), the client’s own highly curated and excellent mid 20th modern furnishings, and new natural materials and contemporary flourishes.
