The Skygarden House was born from a desire to bring the charm and coziness associated with countryside houses into the city, to mimic the experience of living in a weekend retreat but in an urban environment with all the advantages that it entails. It was designed and built on a narrow lot in Toronto, Canada by studio DUBBELDAM Architecture + Design. It utilizes the footprint of a century-old house but only two exterior walls of the original building have been preserved, everything else being new.
View in galleryThe residence occupies a narrow lot between existing buildings, where an old house used to be
The design of the new residence is simple, with graphical lines and a strong connection to the outdoors. The clients wanted to feel close to nature and to have easy access to outdoor spaces so the architects included in their design a wooden deck for the backyard and a porch at the front of the house.
View in galleryThe rear of the house opens up towards the backyard, welcoming the outdoors inView in gallerythe main social areas are clustered on the ground floor and share an open floor planView in galleryThe entryway is separated from the rest of the ground floor functions by a sliding wallView in galleryThe kitchen is L-shaped, with windows on both sides and a practical island with built-in appliances
The interior spaces are organized on multiple levels, topped with a modern and graphical interpretation of the traditional pitched roof. All areas benefit from abundant sunlight and well-framed views of the surroundings thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows being a major part of the design and also the well-planned relationship between the house and its immediate surroundings. In addition to the front porch and the backyard deck, there’s also an exposed roof deck on the top floor which acts as an extension of the master bedroom. Such an open, fresh and vibrant living experience is quite uncommon for the urban environment, making this residence very special.
View in galleryA bar-like unit visually separates the kitchen and dining area from the sitting roomView in galleryThe dining room has light wooden flooring, white custom cabinetry and a bright red pendant lamp for contrastView in galleryA sliding glass door connects the dining area to the front patio which serves as an extension for the indoor spacesView in galleryThe master bedroom occupies the top floor and has its own open roof deck which bring it closer to natureView in galleryThe extension is part of the main floor plan and unnoticeable from the outsideView in galleryAlthough quite small, this area is wonderful in every way and makes total sense in the context of this urban homeView in galleryThe master bedroom and the deck are separated by full-height glass panels which ensure a seamless connectionView in galleryThe bathroom is filled with natural light too and features large windows and glass partitions which take advantage of thisView in galleryThe house makes the most of the narrow plot, offering both plenty of indoor space and a variety of outdoor functions