The Parkview residence is situated along a busy street, with a public transit stop in front of the property.
Although the family was happy with the neighbourhood, they had concerns about privacy, views both into and out of the home, and possibly having to compromise on the amount of light from their public facing facade.
These competing concerns became the design challenge of the studio: to create a residence that balanced openness and natural light with a guarded face to the street.
A front L-shaped internal courtyard was introduced as a buffer between the house and street. This courtyard allows for a large front floor-to-ceiling window, bringing abundant light into interior, while protecting privacy. The courtyard veils waiting transit riders at the bus stop from view and, in turn, limits views from the bus stop into the house.
Beyond its role as a privacy screen, the courtyard provides a serene promenade to the entrance, marking a transition from public to private space. Concealed within the courtyard, a linear reflecting pool introduces both visual and acoustic tranquility. During the summer months, when the windows are open, the gentle sound of cascading water carries into the interior, connecting the interior and exterior acoustically.
The courtyard is defined by a perforated brick screen above, open to the sky. This brick screen protects views in and out of the second floor bedroom while allowing light to stream through.
On the other side of the courtyard is a car port whose perpendicular wall provides additional privacy to the residence. The rear of the car port has a hidden path way to the backyard and provides enclosed storage for garbage bins, rakes and shovels, etc.
The exterior palette is restrained and monochromatic, composed primarily of grey brick and concrete, which flow together elegantly.
The interior palette consists of wood and crisp white walls. A small internal courtyard was carved out of the interior space, allowing even more light into the residence and providing another outdoor private area for the family to enjoy a moment of pause.
