ladyscraper
man alive
thanks to everyone posting these unique houses. keep em coming! i love it!
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Unique Houses in Toronto
- Thread starter junctionist
- Start date
ProjectEnd
Superstar
Don't forget the Integral House
And KPMB's spectacular Ravine House
And KPMB's spectacular Ravine House
Conrad Black
Senior Member
Man its nice to have real money.
Mustapha
Senior Member
I know what you mean. I used to look and swoon. Now I just say to myself; 'that's great for them', or something, and go back to fixing the basement bathroom.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
I just think about how long it would take to vacuum those places.
They probably don't worry about such things.
They probably don't worry about such things.
Mustapha
Senior Member
Archivist
Senior Member
At the risk of sounding drippy or preachy (or taking us off topic), just because they have fabulous houses doesn't make them happy. Several studies have shown that there is a correlation between wealth and happiness, but only at very low levels of income (in other words, desperately poor people are genuinely under a lot of stress because they have so little money) - but the cutoff point where money plays no role whatever in feelings of happiness or contentedness or whatever is astonishingly low. ($12,000 US in the states). When I see houses like this I admire them for their beauty and I'm always pleased when the wealthy opt for taste rather than grotesque ostentatiousness, but envy of those inside, no, not really.
junctionist
Senior Member
One of the least successful modern houses that I've come across, downright bizarre, is this one in Governor's Bridge. What the heck?
I can appreciate the willingness to experiment, yet it's not very successful in this experiment. All the eccentric elements appear to be thrown in there for no apparent reason. It's definitely inelegant. Do you have any information on the house?
Are those lamp shades being used outdoors, or was someone moving in?
junctionist
Senior Member
It's great to see this thread alive, with the busy week I've had I haven't had the time to visit UT. Without further ado:
Lawren Harris House, 1931
2 Ava Crescent
Photo by Bob Krawczyk
This is the preeminent residential Art Deco property in Toronto, which also is significant for being the residence of the Group of Seven painter. Harris had gathered inspiration on a European trip. He commissioned Alexandra Biriukova for the design of the eight thousand square foot mansion. It is distinctly Art Deco on the inside and out, for instance with those massive lanterns, or the curving walls inside. The landscaping was done by Janet Rosenberg.
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Evergreen Garden Residence, 2006
6 Evergreen Gardens
Photo by livinginacity on Flickr
This house was designed by an architect previously unmentioned on UT, Drew Mandel. The asymmetry and still modest scale is an exquisite continuation of the modernist spirit of the postwar houses.
____________
83A Marlborough Avenue, 2002
Photo from Drew Mandel Architects
Mandel's most famous and award-winning building so far has been built to more urban dimensions; the lot is thirteen feet wide. He was teased that the one hundred fifty thousand dollar lot could only accommodate a bowling lane. He managed to overcome the limitations to produce a bright house with high ceilings, interesting interior materials, and leaving room for a back yard.
____________
Fraser House, 1968
4 Old George Place
Photo by Bob Krawczyk
This is a house that's often mentioned, yet rarely photographed it seems. This is likely due to the large setback and vegetation. It's significant because it was conceived by Ron Thom, the BC native who also composed the masterplan and designed the buildings for both the U of T's Massey College and Trent University's original buildings. Interestingly enough, Drew Mandel cites this house as a source of inspiration (in this article).
____________
Wolf House, 1974
51 Roxborough Drive
Photo from The Spaces (via Architectural Conservancy Ontario)
This is another house by Barton Myers. It continued Myers' experimentation with the use of off-the-shelf industrial components in his architecture. At the time he was working on prototypes for mass-produced housing, so perhaps it's ironic that his modernism ultimately produced such a unique Toronto house.
____________
103 Hudson Drive, circa 1950
Photo by islets on Flickr
This noticeably more conservative house is from the immediate postwar era, designed by G.H. Piersol. The circular windows and colour are playful touches, and unlike the typical postwar subdivision bungalow, this house features a flat roof.
Lawren Harris House, 1931
2 Ava Crescent
Photo by Bob Krawczyk
This is the preeminent residential Art Deco property in Toronto, which also is significant for being the residence of the Group of Seven painter. Harris had gathered inspiration on a European trip. He commissioned Alexandra Biriukova for the design of the eight thousand square foot mansion. It is distinctly Art Deco on the inside and out, for instance with those massive lanterns, or the curving walls inside. The landscaping was done by Janet Rosenberg.
____________
Evergreen Garden Residence, 2006
6 Evergreen Gardens
Photo by livinginacity on Flickr
This house was designed by an architect previously unmentioned on UT, Drew Mandel. The asymmetry and still modest scale is an exquisite continuation of the modernist spirit of the postwar houses.
____________
83A Marlborough Avenue, 2002
Photo from Drew Mandel Architects
Mandel's most famous and award-winning building so far has been built to more urban dimensions; the lot is thirteen feet wide. He was teased that the one hundred fifty thousand dollar lot could only accommodate a bowling lane. He managed to overcome the limitations to produce a bright house with high ceilings, interesting interior materials, and leaving room for a back yard.
____________
Fraser House, 1968
4 Old George Place
Photo by Bob Krawczyk
This is a house that's often mentioned, yet rarely photographed it seems. This is likely due to the large setback and vegetation. It's significant because it was conceived by Ron Thom, the BC native who also composed the masterplan and designed the buildings for both the U of T's Massey College and Trent University's original buildings. Interestingly enough, Drew Mandel cites this house as a source of inspiration (in this article).
____________
Wolf House, 1974
51 Roxborough Drive
Photo from The Spaces (via Architectural Conservancy Ontario)
This is another house by Barton Myers. It continued Myers' experimentation with the use of off-the-shelf industrial components in his architecture. At the time he was working on prototypes for mass-produced housing, so perhaps it's ironic that his modernism ultimately produced such a unique Toronto house.
____________
103 Hudson Drive, circa 1950
Photo by islets on Flickr
This noticeably more conservative house is from the immediate postwar era, designed by G.H. Piersol. The circular windows and colour are playful touches, and unlike the typical postwar subdivision bungalow, this house features a flat roof.
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G
gabe
Guest
photo by ettml flickr
Rosedale has great looking modern homes.
Photo pinkmoose flickr
little post modern house on Logan ave.
Photo onshi flickr
Unique infill house! on Hampton
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Talking of unique houses, there's an amusing reno at Logan and Victor - they put in huge glass windows facing onto the street ... and keep the blinds drawn most of the time!
androiduk
Senior Member
My wife is a seamstress who specializes in custom slipcovers and drapes. She gets lots of calls from people with giant windows (mostly south but also west facing). The rooms are so hot, even with the a/c on that the main rooms are hard to live in during the day. She recently put in black out drapes at a west facing unit in the merchandise building that was so uncomfortable during the day that the woman and her baby spent most of the afternoon in the bedroom. Think wisely before you buy these places with huge picture windows.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
In my place, the thermostat that controls the HVAC is located near a south-facing window. On chilly but bright and sunny winter mornings it "reads" a room temperature of up to 26 C. Thus the furnace doesn't turn on, unless I trick it by drawing the blinds and keeping the sunlight off of it. The placement of this thing is a classic design flaw if you think of design as a problem-solving process. I ought to have it relocated, but actually rather enjoy this silly little winter morning ritual ... because it gets me out of bed a bit earlier.
Mustapha
Senior Member
Oh, The Struggle between Design and Practicality. I remember my grannies house on Grange - across the street from your pal Pachter. Those Victorian town houses and their smaller (compared to modern days) windows - always dark inside.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Well, design is a practical process for solving problems as much as anything else, so I don't see the need for any such conflict. I think good design is mostly common sense: spending enough time - early on - to get the concept right; sorting out the economics of actually building the thing; the suitability of materials for the task asked of them; those sorts of things.
And if you go with a good designer you're off to a far better start than if a second rate talent's involved, because the results of their work affect the quality of your life: aesthetics. Beauty is the magic ingredient that you can't quantify, you can only recognise.
And if you go with a good designer you're off to a far better start than if a second rate talent's involved, because the results of their work affect the quality of your life: aesthetics. Beauty is the magic ingredient that you can't quantify, you can only recognise.