South House

The Lakeview neighbourhood in Mississauga is over 100 years old. Oral histories describe the incremental construction of houses throughout the decades, still evidenced by layers of add-ons concealed and integrated within the original structures. We aligned with this slow development and considered how the qualities of this early suburb can be preserved through the renovation and addition of a single-family home.

South House sidesteps the recent development approach and continues the trajectory set by the neighbourhood’s early incremental development while preserving one of its early residential structures.

CHALLENGES

The original six room main floor presented challenges with rooms that were quite small. The interior walls were removed and reconfigured to provide a more spacious and adaptable floor plan through the use of movable walls, as well as rethinking conventional functions of rooms within the house.

The addition clips onto the existing house while keeping the exterior walls intact. Windows and doors now interiorized are removed and become physical and visual access points to and from the addition. The original wood board sheathing is exposed, adding a rich weathered texture to the maple floors and maple veneer plywood wall panels.

SUSTAINABILITY

The integration of sustainable design begins with preserving the bungalow’s form, structure, and embodied energy, rather than demolishing as is happening frequently in the neighbourood. Originally built in 1920s, the addition extended the use of wood as a structural material for the house addition and the 100-year-old wood sheathing is exposed on the interior as a finish.

The placement of the wood member creates a conceptual tie between the existing and new house, and the rhythm and spacing is matched. The use of digital tools was integrated within the light wood frame construction to modify the commonly accepted approach to building.

HISTORY

Originally built in the 1920s, the addition considers how the qualities of this early suburb can be preserved through the renovation and expansion of a single-family house. South House sidesteps the recent development approach and continues the trajectory set by the neighbourhood’s early development. Stick framing was used as it is a simple accepted method of construction and has historically been used by owners and builders in the surrounding context.

To better understand the history, growth, and urban fabric of Lakeview, we completed a visual study documenting the neighbourhood houses accruing additions over time.