The Victorian façade with its proportions and composition of openings is maintained throughout. High-performance operable windows inserted into the existing openings keep existing stone lintels and sills and the subtle brick detailing around these openings intact. Three existing stained- glass units were salvaged, refurbished and installed neatly in their original positions on the street-facing façade. Afternoon sunlight shines through the coloured glass painting the walls and floors. Sitting within the shell is a layer of light wood stud construction containing the materials of modernity; updated electrical wiring, data cables, and thermal, vapour and air barriers, all concealed behind a new skin of gypsum board. The new interior represents a moment of exchange between the house’s history and its future, a moment of discourse between existing shells and new trajectories. The past is present, its influence is felt. New forms, materials, and uses build enduring relationships between people and the architecture that houses them. This is where we can achieve sustainability.
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unCover / reCover House
architecture, interior design, landscape architecture: large [medium] design office
structural: Blackwell Structural Engineers
mechanical: Elite H.V.A.C. Designs
photography: doublespace photography
drawings and diagrams: large [medium] design office
FRANCESCO MARTIRE is an architect, landscape architect and co-founder of large [medium] design office , a multi-disciplinary practice based in Toronto, Ontario. He is also Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto. https://largemdo.com
doublespace photography
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