Basis Design Build

Restoring some mosaics for the pond and stepping stones from 22 years ago . Still beautiful and classic. Getting ready to move on from this place, but want to leave these details and others as we designed and built them .

Snow day.

Finishing our building permit submission for a new cottage - 3 gables on a hill for a family with 3 boys.

Scenes from a site visit.

Beautiful and precise stonework by and . The Adair limestone panels clad the fireplace and sauna, both inside and outside.

Some drone views of the almost completed exterior.

We started to demolish one of our favorite projects from 2005 to reinvent, extend and renew.

Some millwork details of the study that sits under the balcony at the fulcrum of the house.

In a Queen Street East garden we build this fire escape stair and terraces that connect the units of a multi-generation family home.

On an Oakville rooftop we built extensions to the existing condominium to provide protected outdoor spaces adjacent to the main living spaces.

Plywood ceiling completed and tile work on main floor has started.

An illuminated floating staircase connects the four levels of this home. Bronze painted steel stringers, white oak treads and handrails, brass detailing and Carrara marble landing and steps.

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Rough-Ins almost complete.

Nestled in a lakeside cove - a series of buildings with simple rooflines and integrated indoor-outdoor spaces.

Floor framing complete and ready for walls.

Concrete floor slab pour in freezing temperatures. The tent structure was erected and heated for several days before the concrete pour. Floor framing will continue inside the tent.

This house is a portal to the garden and forest beyond. Views , spaces and connections to outside foster indoor/outdoor living. The interiors are conceived as a backdrop for the owners art and mid-century furniture.

Excavation.

Recent photography of our Project 22 is now on our website.

Outdoor spaces are an important extension of a well considered interior. Additional living space in warm weather, a private and contained view of nature from indoors, and an effect of expanding interior spaces year round. The design of adjacent outdoor areas using complimentary materials and layout of the space will help to blur the distinction between inside and out and extend the visual space of the interior. @ Toronto, Ontario

CONSTRUCTION LOGIC -
Early insight into the detailed process of putting things together on site can make your project go faster and cost less. Efficiencies in scheduling and overlap of construction trades, design of details to consider efficient fabrication and coordination of trades, scheduling material procurement, and assembly of some components off-site are some of the areas that we look at.
Considering Construction Logic early in the design process is one of the advantages of a Design Build process - please visit our website for more details of how we work from both design and construction perspectives to make your project seamless.

A modern and nautically influenced kitchen in a summer cottage. Chrome fittings, stainless steel, reflective cabinetry, painted tongue and groove ceiling, and a matte oil finish Jatoba hardwood floor. We used design ingenuity to combine standardized Ikea cabinetry and custom made stainless elements like stainless counters with built in basins and a large kitchen island.

This private garden oasis uses the existing trees along with new planting to enclose and define spaces. Large warm coloured concrete paving mixed with Wiarton limestone in a random patterned path leads to the pool area. Pool finishes and tile are kept simple and natural.

Working from home.
A quiet place with a view, a private space overlooking a larger room, a cocoon filled with personal objects, a place for contemplation, a peaceful contrast to our busy workplace.
@ Toronto, Ontario

Wine Cellar as a showpiece.
Although located in a lower basement level, this wine cellar serves as a focal point for this home and a destination at the bottom of a long central stair case. A backlit stone floor, a glass ceiling and floor to above, customized bottle storage, and subtle LED lighting were some of the design challenges. Technical issues included creating a separate climatized zone which was visually part of a larger space, heat build up, condensation, drainage, UV light, and reduction of noise from mechanical cooling systems.

Water features add tranquility and foster relaxation. Water adds a relaxing ambiance and it can also serve as passive cooling through evaporation, dampen urban noise, and provide an ecological haven for native wildlife. Landscaping is integral to our projects - an extension of interior spaces and the overall design composition.

New Life for an Older Home -
A rejuvenation of this home brought the old formal dining room and galley kitchen together into a light and contemporary family space. See the link in our profile for a House and Home article about this house.