House on the Bluffs

Perched high on the cliffs of the Scarborough Bluffs, the dramatic views afforded by this site encompass lake and sky through the tall trunks of mature trees. The foundations of the owner’s childhood home were reused to create a new residence that celebrates this spectacular location. This allowed the trees, several of which are very close to the house, to remain undisturbed. Viewed from the street, the house is a simple stucco box distinguished by a screen of vertical channel glass that provides privacy while allowing diffuse natural light into the stair, guest bathroom and master bathroom. At night it glows like an oversized lantern. Ontario Algonquin limestone wraps from the front wall around to the recessed entrance and extends inside into the foyer, establishing a recurring theme of blurring the distinction between outside and inside. The same material reappears within the two-storey living room. The rear of the house facing Lake Ontario dissolves completely into a two-storey wall of glass, punctured by the second floor master bedroom that cantilevers out from over the dining room below. This volume is distinguished by a cladding of charcoal coloured fibre cement panels both inside and out. A long linear skylight further disengages it from the rest of the house and washes natural light deep into the space between the open living and dining room.