Designlines

Rise to the Occasion

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“HOW CAN YOU HAVE an integral garage and habitable basement on a narrow lot and still be able to have a living room that connects to the backyard?” This was the primary challenge Ja Architectu­re Studio faced with this new build on Briar Hill Avenue, a home for a bustling young family with the space requiremen­ts typically accommodat­ed by larger suburban lots. In response, the firm created a series of visually connected platforms on the living level that, through slight sectional changes – three steps up or down – create transition­al flow from one to another, yet maintain their own clear purpose. Access to the entry was elevated and the living space gradually moves down – from the foyer and living room above the garage – to the kitchen, family room and landscape level in the back.

The next challenge was to balance the visual openness and continuity with clearly defined zones. And so, from the centrally positioned front door, guests face 4.5-metre-long cantilever­ed slabs of granite that delineate the platform of the living room and the step down to the back of the house. While the granite marks the different levels, the American walnut running throughout unifies the disparate regions and guides sightlines, making it easier to keep watch over the young urbanites running and playing from one end of the home to the other. JASTUDIOIN­C.COM

 ??  ??  Granite from Ciot; door by Craft Door Design; Stair by Mrail; sofa and table from Roche Bobois.
 Granite from Ciot; door by Craft Door Design; Stair by Mrail; sofa and table from Roche Bobois.
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