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A couple weeks ago we previewed the Toronto Modern Home Tour, and last weekend UrbanToronto took the opportunity to take in the sights at a few of our city's most intriguing homes. Modern Home Tour is an orginization based in Austin, Texas that holds events in various North American cities showcasing homes that epitomize modern living, refined architecture, excellent use of materials and also homes that offer unusual solutions to coomon household problems.
The first site we visited was a 2009-built 1,800-square-foot home located at 38 Hugo Street. Designed by Wiess Architecture & Urbanism Ltd., it was constructed on the site of a Victorian row house that burned down in 2008. This tour in part focused on what was accomplished with limited funds from the insurance company. 'The variance of space and light are prominent design features of the new build.'
The next home was on Albany Avenue in the Annex, and was designed by PLANT Architecture Inc. This two bedroom (two apartment) home was originally built in the early 1900s and was redeveloped in 2004. The tour of this building focused on the renovation project that created an all-season dining room from a former deck space. The tour also included a walk-through of the home's garden designed by Marjorie Harris who, in the words of The Modern Home Tour, is "Canada's Premier Garden Guru".
Another standout home was the former 1890s single family home on Walmer Road redeveloped in 2009 by PLANT Architecture. Here, the historic three-storey residence has been transformed into two, two-storey separated units. 'The worn facade of the building has been restored and transformed into a mosaic of additions'. It is made up of large areas of glass, balconies of translucent polycarbonate panelling, and wood panelling. There is also a large framed glass addition that opens the rear of the house up to the garden and the Japanese Maple.
The final home we saw on the tour was located at 510 King Street East and was actually a condo. Designed by re:THINK design studio, this 1,150 square foot (indoor/outdoor) penthouse unit draws its inspiration from its surrounding historic industrial neighbourhood while implementing modern minimalist design principles.
mage by Edward Skira
Did you check out some of these homes on the tour? What did you think?
