Chamfer Laneway

Chamfer Laneway creates a complete and sequenced experience across its double-loaded inner city site with a front-facing home renovation and a new rear laneway house. In order to make one cohesive series of spaces, light and colour are used as functional diagrammatic elements that establish rhythm and order. Two solariums, one added to the front of the existing house’s porch and one perched on the upper level of the new laneway, serve to greet the street on both sides and create a soft, light-filled threshold between outside and inside. Green is used as a prominent motif throughout, both in the generous application of planting and as an exterior colour application, where the colour application denotes transitions from public to private space.

The form and material of the laneway reference that of the existing home but with a more contemporary approach. Inventive flashing details and perforated metal screens introduce depth to its facades , while careful treatments of color soften the laneway’s presence and integrate it with the surrounding planting. The solarium, enclosed with frosted glass, appears almost as a faceted jewel embedded into the laneway’s corner, allowing light to delve deep into the living space during the day and creating a warm and welcoming glow in the evening. The lot’s tapered northwest corner provides a unique opportunity to maximize west exposure for the solarium and create a distinct front entry face that is separate from the garage.

Five Faces Laneway blends efficiency and elegance,creating openness and comfort in a compact space. Walnut accents and natural stone elements emphasize interesting geometries and details, allowing the laneway to become a home unto itself while presenting a subtle but sophisticated design.

As with the modified entry to the existing house, the laneway solarium creates a buffer between the main living space and the street outside, maximizing natural light but maintaining privacy.

The design embraces spatial constraints typical of a laneway house, and showcases innovative solutions. In the washroom, the shower acts as a dividing element between the ensuite and powder room, enhancing a sense of openness and spaciousness within the confined area.