Modern homes with imposing walls of glass, stainless steel accents, crooked angles, black-and-white exteriors or whimsical shapes have struck a pose in this traditional, tight-knit neighbourhood of Toronto's historic Beach area. This house was designed and built to sell by Riego & Bauer. The objective was to offer buyers a newly contructed house with a contemporary design at a competitive price.
The new house took a while to sell, whether because of the price, the small size or the striking design. Initially on the lookout for a condo, the owner, Richard Godin, was attracted to the 1,000-sq.-ft. home "because it was different, first and foremost. It appears to be paper thin and like a fishbowl. It's all glass - it's not for a bashful person."
The design for this small two-bedroom house fits into the neighbourhood while still being contemporary. With an exciting and approachable design the house relates to the tightly packed cottages with peaked roofs without replicating them.
In contrast to the solid walls on both sides of the house, the front and back faces are entirely glass, in order to maximize natural light and give the modest interior spaces the impression of being larger than they are.
Reigo & Bauer recently filled a small empty lot tucked between a row of houses near Woodbine Avenue and Kingston Road. The property was only 16½x55 feet so the architects approached the design much as they would for a condo, building a tall, thin white house, with black side walls, whose front is almost entirely glass; passersby can easily gaze Into the upper and lower rooms.
