Toronto, unlike most large cities, is blessed with many ravines that help break the fabric of the city into many very distinct patches or neighbourhoods which bring greenery and wildlife into the very heart of the city. The ravines are the lungs of the city. This house is located on one of those beautiful ravines. The views all year round are spectacular. The challenge was to insert the house and the owners into the ravine view and not just look at it.To achieve this we organized the house into two separate wings-adult wing and children and guest wing with the common spaces or meeting spaces at the centre. With the exception of the main entrance and a deck off the living room facing the street side, all rooms face the ravine and all rooms have large glass windows. To reinforce the openness on the ravine side we bermed earth up against the walls facing the street. The clients entertained frequently so we placed the kitchen family room and dining room on the second floor keeping the separation of family and guests. The exterior finishing materials are granite and glass.
