Don Mills House
Toronto, Canada
The new Don Mills Ravine Home serves as a “cottage in the city” for a couple that loves to host and entertain. The generous lot falls away to a forested ravine and the design takes full advantage of the private 5,000 square foot urban oasis. Public spaces make up the length of the rear side of the house with expansive views and access to the backyard, pool, and terraces.
Development of the program and layout was driven by the owners’ desire to host large events as well as smaller groups of guests, while still maintaining the intimacy of a single family home from day to day. Amenities include an outdoor bar served from the kitchen, a backyard pizza oven and barbecue area, a change-room and bathroom accessed via the lower level walk-out for pool users, a game room on the uppermost floor with a treetop view, a wing of guest rooms at the second level, and a roof deck with gas fireplace.
The open tread steel and wood staircase allows natural light to penetrate from third floor down into the basement level, and at the second floor forms part of a bridge that divides the master bedroom suite from the guest rooms. A seamless connection to the outdoors is provided on all floors, including the basement with stepped planter walkout. Large aluminum-clad Douglas Fir operable windows, timber curtain wall, and sliding doors with glass guards acting as Juliet balconies brings the outdoors in.
Ledgerock veneer wraps the main floor volume and elevator core, and slides from indoors to outdoors as a feature wall in the dining room. Flat lock and standing seam metal panels clad the upper volumes and cover integrated rain water leaders. Significant overhangs with fir soffits mitigate solar heat gain on the large expanses of glass.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
- Integration with the ‘Natural Assets’ of Site and Terrain
- Site Specific View and Vista Optimization
- Natural Daylighting
- High Performance Envelope Design
- Radiant Heating
- Heat Recovery Ventilation
- Solar Electric (photovoltaic or PV systems)
- Low Energy Lighting & Appliances (LED, CFL lighting and Energy Star appliances)
Natural light is abundant due to large windows, shallow building volumes, and generous building setbacks, and minimal artificial light is required during the day in the main spaces. The completed home is a warm and inviting space that connects its users to a lush urban oasis, and provides respite from the stress of city life.