Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tucked into a steep, wooded ravine in Toronto, the Lytton Residence by BA Collective is a masterful fusion of contemporary design, environmental sensitivity, and family-centric living.
Completed in 2022, this 9,600-square-foot home responds elegantly to its natural surroundings, appearing to float above the forest floor while preserving the site’s mature trees and ecological integrity.
The project program was a new construction of an 891-sqm single family residence to include living area, entertainment room, two home offices, dining area, kitchen, children’s playroom, primary bedroom with en-suite, three en-suite bedrooms, two guest en-suite bedrooms, powder room, gym, sauna, outdoor patios, pool, garage, stairway access to the property’s ravine with bridge crossing.
The client is a large family with a strong adherence to their heritage and shared time together.
These foundational principles helped guide the design, yet the client was open to exploring unconventional concepts.
Celebrating its design excellence, the Lytton Residence has won a 2024 American Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture, Design, and Urban Studies.
The interior design approach celebrates each family member’s personality while working with common aesthetic principles, resulting in a cohesive design.
Rich materiality, vibrant colors, and playful composition are interwoven throughout the home. Actively engaged in the design process, the client envisioned a house evolving with their young family.
The house transitions from formal elegance to child-friendly spaces; the style is lively yet sophisticated, truly reflecting its owners.
Designing a home in a forested neighborhood, our goal was to preserve the existing trees on the property, situated on the edge of a protected ravine, with minimal disruption to the natural surroundings.
The architects wanted the modern design and custom features of the home to complement the neighborhood’s more traditional homes.
Despite the challenge of a large program, fitting everything within the buildable area was crucial.
The objective was to meet the client’s programmatic needs while maintaining a balance with the lot size, construction constraints, environmental considerations, and style of neighboring homes.
The Lytton residence was designed to optimize the primary view to the south, taking into consideration the native trees in the surrounding ravine.
Given the predominance of deciduous plants and trees in the ravine, the architects integrated large, glazed openings on the south side of the home to not only capture the calming views but also leverage passive cooling from the tree canopies.
The reverse is true in winter: when the leaves have fallen, the large windows enable passive heat gain through the tree limbs.
Situated in a forested area, the existing trees naturally contribute to carbon emission reduction.
During construction and landscaping, great care was taken to preserve these trees, and additional ones were planted in the front of the home.
The locally crafted brick used for the exterior screen serves as a brise-soleil, effectively managing sunlight and solar heat entry.
Filtered light comes through the brise-soleil screen, and the expansive windows bring natural lighting, reducing energy consumption and reliance on artificial lighting during the day.
Deep overhangs provide shading to the expansive windows, and numerous skylights further augment the infusion of natural light.
The residence predominantly features wood framing and recycled insulation, embodying sustainability.
Operable windows on the ground and upper levels allow for cross ventilation.
High efficiency lighting, appliances, and mechanical equipment ensure long-term environmental responsibility.
Low-flow water fixtures were installed, and smart home controls offer programmable energy reduction for HVAC and lighting.
Low VOC paints were used throughout the home. All trades, consultants, and contractors involved in the project are local to Ontario.
Project: Lytton Residence
Architects: BA Collective
Lead Architects: Daniel Rentsch and Jennifer Wu
Design Team: Merve Krenzke, Alexis Roohani, Alice Hernandez, Devon Montminy, Tianyu Kan, Jessica Hong, David Cheung, Melissa Yip, and Joshua Hanley
General Contractor: Coheze Construction Management Incorporated
Client: Private
Photographers: Adrian Ozimek
