The historic Walper Hotel in Canada’s Silicon Valley North is the new hot spot for Kitchener Waterloo’s growing tech community. With newly opened offices of Yahoo, Google and other major tech players, as well as Waterloo’s RIM and the Perimeter Institute, this area located an hour from Toronto is proving to be one of the fastest growing communities in the country. Photography by Gillian Jackson of Barré Studio, Langen Studios, Kerun Ip, Michael Muraz.
Skygarden House is a project designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design. Situated on a narrow lot in an older Toronto neighbourhood, the Skygarden House designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design provides outdoor living spaces on multiple levels to address the owners’ desire for a better connection to the home’s natural surroundings. The owners used to spend their weekends at a home in the country, located next to a stream and surrounded by trees. “Our clients wanted to emulate this bucolic experience in their urban home; they expressed a strong desire for a sustainable home connected to its natural surroundings”, said principal Heather Dubbeldam. Photography by Shai Gil.
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Through House is a project designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design. The owners of this historic 130-year old home in downtown Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood had an environmentally conscious agenda and a desire for contemporary design. They looked to Dubbeldam Architecture + Design to turn the dark, cramped Victorian interior into a sweeping plan that opens the interior to light, expands the useful living space and draws connections to the rear garden. “Our clients were seeking an alternative to condo living: a small and energy efficient home within walking distance of work and public transit, and with enough room to entertain and accommodate out of town visitors. Within a modest footprint, they are able enjoy a quiet neighbourhood and the pleasures of a modern and light-filled design with a compact garden,” explained principal Heather Dubbeldam. Photography by Bob Gundu
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Contrast House by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design explores the role of contrast in the modern renewal of a 120-year old home. Employing the use of contrast in a historic neighbourhood and as a means to amplify natural light, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design juxtaposed opposing elements to explore the relationship between light and dark, old and new. Photography by Bob Gundu, Tom Arban.
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