Opposite House

The Opposite House is a commissioned private residence located on the Scarborough Bluffs, closer to the east edge of the Greater Toronto Area. The new build sits partly on an old bungalow’s footprint, close to a quiet back-street, with a 11,000 sqm site sloping down to the shore of Lake Ontario.

Both outside and in, the Opposite House is at once familiar yet different, spectacular yet comfortable, private as well as public – presenting a study in subtly rendered juxtapositions. Two concepts are at work here: Louis Kahn’s “servant and served” maxim, wherein private, back-of-the-house functions are placed on one side, balanced by public relaxation on the other; and the “phototropic” nature of plants, which remain rooted in the earth while their heads blossom towards the sun – interpreted here as a north side wrapped in dark-black, textured brick and a south side presented in bright glass and smooth white stucco.

The central nave and the north-south transept divide the building program into four main zones: the garage, mudroom and storage; a guest-room with an en-suite, home offices/secondary bedrooms, bathroom facilities, and the master bedroom, kitchen, dining, and living areas.

Opposite House, Toronto
Architect: Reza Aliabadi – rzlbd
Structure: Egbert Engineering
Mechanical: McCallum Consulting
Construction: Caledon Building & Design
Area: 560 sqm
Completion: 2016