Brown House is a two-storey home for an active family of four that uses form and materiality to create a contemporary, open concept residence on the inside, and an expressive play of volumes on the outside. Located in Ledbury Park, Toronto, the new home replaces a bungalow-styled residence the couple lived in for seven years, to accommodate the needs of their growing family.

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Minimal but bold, the new design uses steel framing to provide large spans and laterally support an open space on the main level. This convivial living space includes a kitchen with a double island, a dining area, a generous living room with a fireplace, and large windows that overlook the backyard. A full-height central atrium with a skylight at the apex filters natural light throughout the home. Organized around this central volume, the second-floor features four bedrooms with ensuites, and an entertainment area. A staircase connects the two living levels and further down to the ground floor which includes a double car garage, an entertainment room, an exercise room, and a guest suite. This fully automated home, with efficient HVAC and Electrical system, is finished in custom white oak millwork which offers a visually coherent aesthetic in contrast to the light-coloured porcelain tiles.

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Back on the main floor, a floor-to-ceiling tailored wine cellar separates an office for two from the main floor. This office is expressed from the outside as an extruded, cubic volume framed with black aluminum cladding. The rest of the home is clad in fiber cement boards. The apparent push-and-pull of materials creates a harmony of volumes that expresses the different functions of the home, the entrance and staircase in porcelain tile, the bedroom volume in fiber cement.

The result of a creative collaboration with Barroso Homes, this turned-key-delivered architectural project sculpted a warm, and contemporary residence the family can enjoy for years to come.