Dovercourt House

Dovercourt Residence

Dovercourt Duplex is an extensive renovation and conversion of an old piano store into a private residence. The house fronts the sidewalk edge of a busy Toronto street and implements two strategies to mitigate the lack of privacy at the front of the building. First, the entrance to the suites was moved to the side of the building, allowing for a more generous and secluded entry. The second strategy was to plant cedars at the front window, creating a living privacy screen.

Finishes are simple, resilient yet commodious. New windows were inserted into existing openings and insulation and moisture management were added to the building envelope. Judicious placement of skylights brings light into what would otherwise be a dim interior. The choice of radiant heat over forced air creates clean open spaces free from bulkheads, and the heated polished concrete floors take advantage of floor structures which were originally engineered to support loads in keeping with a piano showroom. This strategy of heating necessitates considered operable units to ensure adequate natural ventilation is provided for cooling.

Collaborators
Catalyst Design Build
Blackwell Engineering

Photo Credits
Tom Arban