The Garneau Home
Functionality and fun coexist in the Garneau Home with daring design features you won’t find anywhere else.
The Plan
The Garneau owners wanted a refuge that combined the family’s hobbies with solutions for simplified daily living. Their home needed to be functional and low maintenance so they would have more time to enjoy doing the things they love and sometimes without even having to leave the comfort of their own home! They also wanted their home to be a comfortable, yet striking venue to entertain friends and family.
Separate living and sleeping spaces, a uniquely attached garage, and innovative design features for their specific recreational interests were features we needed to include in order to bring their dream home to life.
The Build
Because there are height restrictions when building on a mature lot, an 18-foot-deep excavation, three times the standard depth, was required to build four levels of innovative layouts to accommodate the family’s needs.
This extra depth allowed for an additional basement level where the home fitness centre is located. The exercise area features a 12’ ceiling to accommodate climbing walls and a sprung floor for Judo training and dance rehearsal.
The lower basement level also provides access to the underground corridor which links the house with the (seemingly) detached garage.
As you move up from the lower basement level, the next level, which is still four feet below grade, features bedrooms deliberately disconnected from the sound and activity of the common areas of the floors above.
One more floor up is the kitchen and living room areas which flow from the front to the back of the house, unimpeded by an open-riser staircase.
On the main floor, a vertical garden and herb fridge add liveliness to the kitchen and the convenience of growing fresh produce. Floor to ceiling windows bring brightness to every space.
On the uppermost level where the main bedroom is found, a suspended glass bridge allows the light to flow effortlessly between levels.
Underground Corridor
The client had asked that the home’s garage be attached so they wouldn’t have to walk outside, but city bylaws did not allow for it. An underground corridor was built to solve this problem. Special care and consideration for waterproofing and ventilation was taken to ensure the homeowner would be safe and dry. A carbon monoxide detection and exhaust system was installed in this buried concrete shell as safety precautions in the rare event of exhaust fumes entering from the garage.
Photo credit: Thirdstone Inc
Suspended Glass Bridge
The suspended glass bridge extends across the upper floor to create a walkway to the main bedroom and rear deck. This spectacular feature creates an open concept not available in a traditional hallway design which helps bring in light and airiness to the kitchen and living room below. Specialized engineering for support beams was required, with safeguards including additional glass thickness for strength and durability.
Vertical Garden
The vertical garden which was built into the kitchen’s brick accent wall to grow fresh herbs for the homeowner year ‘round includes a specialized potting system with internal drainage to guard against moisture damaging the surrounding wall.
Wall System
A high-performance multi-layered wall system was used. The layers work in harmony to deliver exceptional control of heat, air and moisture, increased structural integrity and energy efficiency.
