A Cramped Boarding House Transformed Into an Open, Modern Home in Toronto

The Parklex facade visually connects the main house and coach house. “We wanted to use an exterior material that harmonized with the house’s context, which is an older neighborhood filled with Victorian houses made of Toronto red clay brick,” architect Heather Dubbeldam says.

Photo by Bob Gundu.

In a Toronto neighborhood, a young couple became permanent residents in a former boarding house and adjacent coach house. With a growing family and a love for entertaining, the clients desired a versatile residence instead a series of confined bedrooms and detached structures. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design designed open spaces inside and out that help connect the two structures for the family to host parties, meals, and activities. “As these were all separate living units, the flow throughout the house was naturally constricted by the numerous walls,” says Heather Dubbeldam, principal and founder. “Converting both the house and coach house into a single family residence gave us the opportunity to open up the building for contemporary living.” Drawing from a diverse palette of materials, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design revived the existing structures and organized the backyard, creating a unified home.