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Lambert & Fils lights are suspended over the island.

Four-year-old Ian plays in the courtyard, which is the center of family life in warmer months.

Studio Junction transformed a two-story apartment above Mjölk, Juli Daoust and John Baker’s design boutique on Toronto’s busy Dundas Street West, into a tranquil space. A courtyard joins the living room and the open kitchen and dining area.

Section through the kitchen of Two Sheds by Dreamer.

"We wanted a raw and natural feel using materials with low embodied energy and where the crafting of the human hand can be registered," says Joe. The material palette includes hot dip galvanized steel work, which is exposed and celebrated; hoop-pine plywood on walls, ceilings, and joinery; blackbutt hardwood on the exposed rafters, beams, stairs, and floorboards; and plantation rosewood for doors and windows.

Every square inch was maximized in these compact vacation homes.

Because of the way the home is sited, breeze is drawn from one screened porch throught to the other. In the heat of the summer, the homeowners leave the windows open all day to pull in air that keeps the house cool through the evening.

The guest house and main house are connected between the buildings—the kids are constantly running barefoot from space to space.

The home’s lightweight Onduline roofing was selected for its ability to withstand strong winds, its environmentally friendly qualities, and its thermal characteristics.

Floor plan of House DL by David D’Hulst and Annemie Lathouwers

Many of the furnishings were made by the couple from salvaged materials. David designed and built the oak cabinetry in the kitchen, which features a Mortex-coated island.

The master bedroom features a closet in the corridor to use less space. Sight lines lead to the forest from nearly every space.

First floor plan of Courtyard House by COX Architecture.

Ground floor plan of Courtyard House by COX Architecture.

In 2014, Jeff and Karen Gunning began researching building another house, hoping to create a single, contained volume without compromising their retirement funds. The resulting Tree House comprises three pitched volumes with cutaways to create a porch in phase one and recessed window planter ledges in phase two. Simple wood columns provide support.

Michael D'Angelo Landscape Architecture provided a new master plan that includes grassy areas for lawn games, a fire pit, and new plantings.

Says Krista, “We needed to know that whatever we built would not take away from the landscape.”

Sheffield Residence by Of Possible