Project description provided by Michelle Gosal. Photos by Scott Norsworthy.
The Atrium House is located on a quiet cul-de-sac in midtown Toronto, Ontario. Designed by Studio JCI, the home is organized around a central atrium, lit from skylights above, connecting spaces across three levels. Private and intimate domestic spaces on the upper floors open onto the atrium drawing daylight into the interior of the compact plan in unexpected and surprising ways. On the main floor, the void frames the entertaining kitchen at the centre of the home.
The main floor is raised a half-storey above grade, allowing uninterrupted views through the home with a discrete, lower-level garage entrance facing the street, below it. The subtle manipulation of floor levels diminishes the garage, allowing for a more social relationship to the street with a generous front porch. Open-concept living spaces at the front and back of the house connect to the exterior through a cascading series of smooth poured concrete terraces with frameless glass guards to maintain sightlines.
The exterior material palette contrasts concrete, masonry, and glass with warm wood accents. The front and rear facades feature projecting masonry volumes with the receding voids lined with wood cladding and soffits. Various outdoor spaces are provided across multiple levels, including the partially enclosed front porch and inset balconies, and expansive terraces at the rear. A setback third floor features bedrooms that open to the front and rear-facing roof terraces.
