Family life beyond a house

This architect is raising his kids in a condo. He says it’s more traditional than you might think

Creating a dream home for his young family is one of Gianpiero Pugliese’s grand designs.

The Toronto architect, principal founder of architecture and design firm Audax, most recently designed128 Hazelton Avenue— a new boutique condominium, by builder Mizrahi Developments — in the upscale Yorkville neighbourhood.

Pugliese, 41, also boasts a Master in Architecture from Harvard University.

So when it came time for the father of two to execute his vision of the perfect living space for his own family — wife Mariya Naumov, 34, son Maximilian, 3, and daughter Evelyn, 1 — he didn’t follow the traditional, single-family-home blueprint. There were no plans for a four-bedroom house with an extra large backyard and a two-car garage.

Instead, his canvas was the third-floor of a 1980s midrise office building in the heart of Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood.

After purchasing the entire floor, Pugliese decided to remake the 3,000 square feet of commercial space and completely transform it into a residential sanctuary.

“It presented us with a unique opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind space,” he says, adding their decision has prompted some interesting discussions about the best environment in which to raise a family.

“A lot of people still today are like: ‘How do you raise kids in a condo?’ ‘How can you raise a family in an apartment?’ ” Pugliese says.

“They are accustomed to the idea that the next step is to have a house, and a yard and a garage. We wanted to look at another solution.”

When Pugliese first undertook the four-month project three years ago, he and Naumov were living in a one-bedroom condo in the same, bustling College St.-area community.

They were eager to continue their vibrant downtown lifestyle with their growing family and didn’t hesitate to turn their backs on societal pressures to build a house in the suburbs.

Pugliese said he wanted to emulate the lifestyle many families happily live in Europe and other parts of the world.

RENÉ JOHNSTON PHOTOS/TORONTO STAR Architect Gianpiero Pugliese and wife Mariya Naumov sit with their kids Maximilian, 3, and Evelyn, 1, in their Little Italy condo.

Evelyn plays with Maximilian in her room that features a doll house in the style of a traditional, North American home.

Two walls of windows open to create a “winter garden” — an outdoor space designed by Pugliese.