Making modern design be a good neighbour in Kitchener

When Christopher Symonds took on a contemporary building project in the traditional neighborhood of Kitchener, Ont. He got more than he bargained for from the local homeowners.

“They thought building a modern house would be an affront to the neighborhood,” said the Ottawa-based architect and director of Simmonds Architecture.

So, in the spirit of being a good neighbor, Simmonds modified his initial design to get the green light from both the city and community for the dwelling called Kitchener Infill.

The first change was to give the house a pitched roof, rather than a flat version with a roof terrace. Next, Owen Sound chose rim rock and thermally modified ash, the materials that made the house blend in with the local community. “The materials do a really good job of creating this age-of-home mystery,” Symonds said.

The three-storey house was also designed with privacy in mind – the main entrance is at the end of a covered side lane.

With 2,770 square feet of living space, the first floor of Kitchener Inville includes dining and living rooms, a kitchen, pantry, and bar. The second floor has a bedroom, a bathroom, a hot tub and a bar. The main sanctuary, with en suite bathroom, is on the top floor.

Building materials also include white oak and walnut cabinetry. Sustainable features include triple-glazed windows, high insulation, and radiant heating. Kitchener Infill design and construction completed in 2019

Architect Christopher Symonds answers some questions about Kitchener-Enville:

Were you surprised by the challenge of building this type of house in an old neighborhood?

The main challenge was to convince the neighborhood that this should be allowed. It’s a very traditional neighborhood and all the houses are from the 1920s and 1950s. We’ve gone two rounds of (approvals for) variations on this project.

The client imagined a flat house with a roof terrace and I said, “No. It’s a very traditional neighborhood and everything has sloping roofs.”

What I wanted to build was a two and a half story house with a sloping roof. I want to set this up with intensely landscaped living spaces at ground level.”

How do the neighbors love her now?

I think they loosened up. I think some of the neighbors still don’t like it.

What is the purpose of a cantilevered roof?

The roof canopy leads you from the corridor, along the side of the house, to the door that organizes your access to the house. It also creates a space between the upper wood-clad elements and the lower stone base. It would be a very tall and skinny house without entering this level.

There is a wall of windows next to the stairs. How do you continue to achieve privacy?

The ground floor has a six-foot-high fence outside, blocking the view of people looking in from the sidewalk. There are also external air vents outside; When you’re indoors, it looks horizontal to the outside but you can’t see down. This is our main privacy component.

The cool thing about a window wall is that it brings in a lot of light. It’s a great experience going up those stairs.

What design facilities have been made for extra-large windows?

The path on which you place these windows must be absolutely flat – it cannot skew at all. You need very solid concrete foundations underneath. The sliding door must have a lift to hold it in place.

Did you use embossed (embossed printed) glass in this project?

We didn’t use it here. There are foliage and fences – the house is not in the middle of a field.