The Experience and Delight of Space

Bold yet respectful, this Glebe home is a contemporary addition to a collection of stately residences on Clemow Ave. The material palette of limestone, wood, zinc and glass is timeless and the form draws from the history of the street with subtle architectural references and a sensitivity to the scale and setback of neighbouring homes. Yet beyond the artful composition of form and materiality, this home is primarily about the experience and delight of space.

This experience begins with a curated front garden walk that subtly transitions from public to privileged space and reveals finely crafted modern details along the way. The path is aligned to a view of the floating Grand Stair within, veiled by lattice of Ipe wood. The entry landing is an intimate space – strategically compressed by a canopy above and with the door itself partly concealed. Upon entering, this comparatively low space dramatically gives way to the soaring two-storey Foyer Gallery and Grand Stair.

The Stair, previously glimpsed, is now revealed. A true showpiece of the home, this elegant, seemingly simple stair is the product of painstaking detailing, engineering and craftsmanship. Rich oak-slab treads appear to float above a single minimal stringer. As a foil to the horizontal patterning of treads and lattice, the height of the space is playfully accentuated with a screen of overlapping vertical wood fins.

The central volume space creates a sense of place and orientation both within the home and beyond. While each adjoining room is enriched by the light and openness it provides, the Foyer Gallery also extends through the home, framing a view of the rear outdoor living room and garden. A second floor bridge crossing the upper gallery is an exciting vantage point from which to look out and perceive your place within the city.

Only a wall of sliding glass panels separates the indoor and outdoor living in the rear yard of the home. The spacious, stone paved terrace features a fireplace, a built-in Barbeque with smoke hood, and a large heated cedar canopy. This outdoor room extends the house’s living space to the edge of a private and lush urban garden. ◼