Ontario, Canada

Category:            Vacation Homes
Year:                2022
Architects:          Orangeink Design Inc.
Lead Architects:     Tony Diodati
Client:              Private
Photographers:       Ryan Fung 

In a quiet suburban neighbourhood in Oakville, just west of Toronto, a young family of four sought a home where they could grow. Bounded by a natural ravine trail to the north and the shores of Lake Ontario to the south, the area is characterized by a diverse mix of postwar housing types, including bungalows, two-storey homes, and side splits.
The family initially purchased a 1970s-era side-split with the intention of renovating and expanding it.

However, the removal of interior finishes revealed extensive structural deficiencies, prompting the decision to rebuild. Rather than introducing a form disconnected from its context, the project became an exploration of how a familiar suburban typology could be thoughtfully reinterpreted. The new home retains the scale, proportions, and characteristic split-level massing of its neighbours while introducing a contemporary expression rooted in light, openness, and connection.

The project brief embraced the traditional side-split organization: a main-level kitchen, dining, and living area; four bedrooms on the upper level; and a ground floor containing the garage, laundry, and support spaces. The homeowners also requested a secondary living area offering refuge from the activity of everyday family life, along with strong visual and physical connections to the rear yard, where entertaining would occur.

While conventional side-split homes often rely on compartmentalized rooms linked by narrow corridors and short flights of stairs, the design sought to strengthen the relationship between these staggered levels without compromising the logic of the original typology. Carefully aligned circulation paths, strategically placed openings, and framed sightlines create visual connections throughout the home, allowing spaces to engage with one another and the surrounding landscape.

The arrival sequence establishes this connection immediately. Upon entering, a direct view extends through the ground floor toward the rear courtyard and landscape beyond. A secondary family room positioned opposite the stairs functions as an intentionally “analog” retreat, free from televisions and digital distractions. Oriented toward views of the rear yard, the space encourages conversation, reflection, and moments of quiet togetherness within the rhythm of contemporary family life.

The main living level is organized beneath a continuous ceiling plane that gently rises at its perimeter, where a band of clerestory windows introduces daylight from three directions. Combined with a continuous ridge skylight above the circulation spine, natural light is drawn deep into the home, illuminating both upper and lower levels throughout the day. Large sliding glass doors disappear into concealed wall pockets, allowing the dining space to extend seamlessly into the exterior entertaining areas.

The upper level contains three secondary bedrooms with vaulted ceilings, a shared bathroom, and a primary suite positioned at the rear of the home. The primary bedroom includes a private dressing area and ensuite, with expansive glazing overlooking the rear garden, courtyard, and glimpses back into the living spaces below, reinforcing the visual dialogue between the home’s various levels.

Outdoor spaces were conceived as extensions of the interior rather than separate amenities. In addition to a covered dining terrace, the design introduces a more intimate courtyard located between the main living area and the ground-level analog room. Accessed through sliding glass doors, the courtyard contains an outdoor fireplace and is framed by a rectangular opening above, creating a quiet space that captures changing light, weather, and views of the sky.

Sustainability was approached through passive design principles rather than applied technologies. Clerestory windows, skylights, and carefully positioned openings maximize daylight and promote natural ventilation, reducing dependence on mechanical systems. Locally sourced limestone and cedar reinforce a regional material palette while minimizing transportation impacts.

At the street, the home maintains the familiar scale and rhythm of neighbouring side splits while introducing an asymmetrical roofline and a sweeping canopy that unifies the entrance, garage, and side-yard access. At the rear, mature trees and native plantings create a private landscape that changes with the seasons and strengthens the relationship between home and nature.

By reinterpreting a familiar suburban form rather than abandoning it, the project challenges the prevailing notion that residential growth must be achieved through increased scale and excess. Through careful consideration of massing, materiality, light, and spatial connection, the home proposes a quieter model for contemporary suburban living—one defined not by size, but by restraint, intimacy, and a meaningful connection to its surroundings.