House in the Hill
Status: completion 2024-2025
Type: residential new build, interiors
Location: Fonthill, Ontario
Surrounded by a mature hill top wood, a re-imagined house emerges and engages with its surrounding landscape.
This private residence for a family of 5 is sited on a property in the Carolinian woodland forest on the Fonthill kame. While nestled into a hill, the massing of the home speaks to the dichotomy of a curvilinear public north facing front and orthogonal fingers reaching out to the private forest facing south, with a central spine connecting these two distinctive volumes.
The gentle curves of the north facade - clad in full height sublimated walnut wood grain aluminum vertical siding - extend out to a curved cantilever on the east side forming an oval home office and bedroom above. This sinuous face wraps around 2 staircases, each with their own individual character, both of which bookmark the green roof canopy entrance. A two-storey height curtain wall with windows punctuated with a variety of translucent glazing offers views from the primary stair. This green steel staircase leads to the private children’s bedroom wing on the second level, its colour reminiscent of the natural green moss of the forest floor of the site. The second stair of wood, offers a private and intimate experience as it connects directly to the cantilevered master bedroom volume above.
A large internal wood clad curvilinear sculptural wall demarcates the primary living spaces from the main corridor spine on the main level and separates the public from private programming of the house. The central double height great room offers impressive views of the forest beyond. A second level library crosses through this space, connecting the two bedroom volumes. A private exterior courtyard adjacent to the dining room forms a pinch point to the parti, drawing the outside in. An ACM clad, plant-topped privacy wall reaches out to further emphasize the division of public and private. On the west, south and east sides, the house cantilevers out into varying volumes- reflecting their respective functions within.
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