At Kirkor, over the years we have moved from the residential single family home projects we did when we were starting out, to major mixed-use, smart-growth developments across the GTA and North America, but here is one residence that is in the works at our offices.

Image of Cliff's new home

When the central Toronto home that my wife Katy and I have lived in for 30 years was unexpectedly destroyed in a neighbour’s fire, it was shocking to say the least. We were devastated. Huge parts suffered severe damage from smoke, water and fire.

The concept of surviving and rebuilding was spontaneous. I’ve long resisted the idea of designing my own house, and here I was given the chance to turn a tragedy into an opportunity.  In fact, I ended up designing the house the way we always wanted. For me, it was a statement about myself and what I want at this stage in life. The house is the same size as it was, and will appear lower, since it will have a flat roof. It’s on a corner site, so the exposure is good and it sits somewhat independently from the other houses. Its strength comes from this context. The exposed side yard will be the front door and we have retained Jacqueline VanderVelde of Land Art Design to do a unique landscape, a plan in keeping with the new house design.

Image of old house

With the help of my Kirkor team, led by David Butterworth, I’ve used Indiana Limestone and Ipe wood with mahogany finish and door surrounds. The bronze-tinted windows slightly reflective have dark bronze frames. The interior will be contemporary too, with stained charcoal birch floors, and brushed chrome and glass railings. The kitchen has everything my wife could possibly want, a centre island with the sink looking over our backyard pool area.

It’s two storeys with a flat roof and asymmetrical windows, somewhat in the Bauhaus style. It makes sense to me to design a contemporary home, since I’m doing more contemporary work throughout the practice, rather than rebuild in the traditional style that was there before. We did not want to keep any reminders of that terrible evening of the fire. It’s new and fresh. The theory is to use traditional materials in a contemporary way.

I’m using the same footprint of the old house, 21’ x 50’ using the two remaining standing walls so that we won’t have to go to the committee of adjustment, this has allowed us to fast track the building permit process. We hope to have it finished by the Spring on the Anniversary date of the fire.

I think of it as high style, crisp, clean, elegant but still it’s a modest, 2000 square foot home, totally in scale to my excellent neighbours who have been totally supportive to Katy and I throughout this process.

- Cliff