Bala Line House by Williamson Chong Architects

Architects: Williamson Chong Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2016
Area: 2,400 ft²/ 223 m²
Photo courtesy: Bob Gundu
Description:

Inside of Toronto’s system of all around protected gorges and valleys, notable rail lines are every so often discovered settled unused on steep, lush slants between the upper level of private fabric and the stream valley natural surroundings down underneath. A de-appointed rail goad – once utilized for an industry-concentrated mid twentieth century city – has advanced into a typical entry for climbers and neighbours as it associates the nearby gorge pathway framework to recently created group ranges, for example, the week by week agriculturists market at the renewed Don Valley Brickworks. Upslope, an uncommon available part coating the western edge of the gorge, around 60 feet over the Bala Line rail way, is the site for a solitary family staying that draws in this option association with the city framework.

This home for a group of five incorporates a progression of terraced spaces hung together by a 14′ flight-and-a-half stair, matching with the falling geography past. Utilizing a solitary run stair to counterbalance essential spaces at key landing focuses, the venture outlines perspectives of the valley beneath. Apparent “weights” of constraining separation least unprotected openings, neighboring statures, and physical evaluation conservation (for stable soil structure and honesty), together offered an open door for a solid ventured mass settling on a grounded poured set up solid structure.

The task disintegrates toward the gorge, leaving a light-filled arrangement of upper spaces catching any common light and thermally-directing impacts of new valley air – most strikingly as a cut front veneer and a liberal twofold cantilever open corner at inverse closures. As a prototypical motion to a generally disregarded urban condition in Toronto, this house structurally tries to recover the gorge as a commendable, new open domain.