The homeowners praise the Hogg’s Hollow renovation for its focus on increasing functionality while bringing the beauty of the natural landscape in to this family home, while the author notes the increase in space achieved through efficient floor plans.

The writer, Dave LeBlanc, praises the Rosedale renovation for its big moves – a cut-away through the second and third storeys that introduce drama and light to the whole house and big white oak screens along the stairs that tie the levels together. Visit our portfolio to see more photos of this project.

Today’s issue of the Globe and Mail features an article by Will Jones on the recently completed addition and renovation project for a century farmhouse – Mineral Springs, in Dundas, Ontario.

Designed as additional living space for a family of four, the 1,000 sq.ft. long single storey addition is connected to the existing farmhouse by a glass link. The offset create an intimate courtyard between it and the farmhouse, with views through the house to the Escarpment beyond.

Visit the project page to see more photos and read about Mineral Springs.

Wood Design Awards aim to recognize new projects that push the limits of wood design demonstrate excellence in the use of wood.

Sited on the footprint of a previous house, +HOUSE’s FSC-certified timber-frame green roof angles back towards the hill, extending its natural slope. Extensive 4.3 metre-high wood-frame lift-and-slide doors on the south facade offer expansive views of the landscape and access to a long cedar deck, integrating the living spaces with the outdoors. Bedrooms are located on opposite ends of the rectangular plan, and the open kitchen and great room are situated in the heart of the building; all are fitted out with rift-cut white oak millwork.

+ HOUSE’s clean profile, refined details and eminently functional spaces belie a wealth of complex, health sensitive technology beneath. Catering to the client’s environmental sensitivities, each building material and finish was vetted by the architect and tested by the client to ensure that she would have no adverse physical reaction. To this end wood was again central to achieving the project’s design goals. The house is built of Durisol Block – an inert cement-bonded wood fibre product that produces no VOCs and inhibits the growth of fungi and molds. To minimize the creation of electro-magnetic fields, the house favoured wood structural roof members over steel. And in keeping with the goal of zero-VOCs, the interior walls are finished with a natural clay plaster, a self-finishing and breathable product applied over the Durisol block that requires no paint finish (there is no drywall in the house).

At the same time as it responds to the client’s environmental sensitivities, it was designed to minimize its greater environmental impact. Pursuing a healthy product for both client and environment meant extensive product research, narrowed down according to locally availability and climate suitability. Other features of this LEED Gold-targeted project include a green roof, FSC certified lumber throughout, heat-mirror triple glazing, a large south overhang minimizing solar gain in the summer, operable skylights and windows on all four elevations offering passive ventilation and natural day lighting across 100% of the occupied floor area, and a pond-loop geothermal system.

To see photos of the project, visit the +HOUSE project page.

Thank you to all the clients, consultants, contractors, fellow architects and past studio employees who joined us for an amazing evening!