A perfect storm of missed opportunities: a myriad of floor plan flaws in plain sight—while rare, multimillion-dollar urban vistas of parkland and river are actively hidden from view.
Watch the Google Earth video to discover this extraordinary setting.
Step inside our analysis to uncover the flaws and missed opportunities that could transform a house that looks impressive into a home that truly uplifts and enriches your life.
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One would never know from the design of this house what a rare gem this site is, situated in the heart of the city and banked on the east and south by protected park land and the river. A design that capitalizes on these innate riches would invite one to savour vistas in a home bathed in warm natural light. Such vistas are hardly ever found in an urban setting just a short walk from the downtown core. They are usually reserved for high rise buildings or country settings. The tragedy of this design is one would never suspect it is surrounded in such beauty from inside of the house.
– Only the garage has free access to these magnificent vistas and the only spots where you can even get a glimpse of the views are on the 2 upstairs toilets, one nice view from a bedroom and the narrow windows in the master bedroom that are usually shrouded.
– The light in this house is blocked rather than welcomed in. Most of the southern wall facing the river is solid without windows. The kitchen/ family room has virtually no natural light, it is facing north and there is a 12 ft high cedar hedge 2 ft from the exterior wall. There is literally no window in the kitchen and the prep space is laid out so you are always facing a wall with cabinets, it’s a bit like standing in the corner. The island is too small for the scale of the kitchen and too busy with the sink in it to provide an alternative prep space.
– Proportionately the rooms don’t make sense, the foyer is about the same size as the kitchen/ family room and the formal living/ dining room. This might make sense if it provided some level of value through drama, opportunities to create moments or experiences like how an elegant hotel lobby can but this one fails on every count and doesn’t even provide a functional entry closet. This is a lot of wasted space that adds very little value.
It is essential to design in harmony with our natural patterns and to do so we must recognise and honour them. This house has many traffic pattern issues that impede the flow of chi and joy potentially causing little irritations that will wear on our spirits. For example:
– Having a wonderful backyard with a pool seems idyllic, except there is no easy access to a washroom or snacks without trudging through formal areas of the house. This will cause strife where our homes need to provide refuge.
– Entryways and traffic paths in this home are not supportive; closets are small and not intuitively located, corridors and door swings compete with each other causing bottlenecks and robbing the home of it’s rightful dignity.
– The way the 2nd story is situated and oriented again prevents access to the majestic views. The layout is a bit mazey which wastes space without adding a feeling of drama or delight.
The design of this house is disappointing on so many levels. The tragedy here is that it will eventually end up in a landfill even though it is decently built of relatively durable and valuable materials and finishes. This house presents an excellent case study to demonstrate the value of wise design and creating a home that uplifts our life and offers a lasting legacy we are proud of.
Synopsis of Perfected Plans
Every element of the proposed renovation to this existing home is designed to capitalize on the magnificent views and sunlight of this property.
We have reoriented the public and private spaces on the main floor to highlight these opportunities and also opened up the second story to enjoy these vistas. Rooms have been carefully proportioned to make sense in the full context of the house and more public spaces have been developed where the family can retreat on their own and welcome guests.
This Perfected Floorplan was developed based on HomeEcology’s design principles based on the acronym S.P.A.C.E. ™ by asking:
How can my home…
S. Seduce the SUN and be in harmony with our site, environment and community (How can we capture southern exposure for community spaces rather than bedrooms and have we made the most of the views ?)
P. Provide a PLACE for everything and be in wise proximity and proportion to other elements, respecting the house as a whole system. (Does the foyer dwarf the great room, is there adequate storage space, does this addition we are contemplating eat up our whole yard and will it block our neighbours sunlight?)
A. ADAPT to fluctuations in our lifestyle and evolving needs. (Can we invite family to stay for a week and what happens if someone ends up in a wheelchair or we’d like to start working from home?)
C. CULTIVATE the change I wish to see in life. This is rarely considered and the most valuable opportunity our homes present. (Churchill said, “First we shape our buildings, then they shape us.” What do I want this home to cultivate in my family and radiate out into our community? Is this the legacy I wish for? How can this home foster harmony in our relationships?)
E. Facilitate EASE Life can be so hard at times and we have so little control over our circumstances. Home should feel like the embrace of a precious friend who has your back and never holds you back, the friend that wants you to soar.
Our goal is to co-create your ideal home, where you have S.P.A.C.E. ™ to be yourself, to retreat and to come together. The home that makes your life and relationships a little easier because it inspires harmony. Where it’s easy to create a meal together and then linger over it … because the architecture cultivates connection. The kind of home where everything it shelters thrives because it provides both refuge and springboard. This is the home that reveals caring as the true source of shelter rather than mere sticks and stones.
Work with us and rest assured;
Your home will not only be beautiful, your home will be wise.
HomEcology™ is our revolutionary answer to our need for shelter. It invites us to align our homes with our values and co-create them in harmony with the ecosystem they are dependent on.
Building or renovating your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime, not only financially; you will invest your heart and soul. Even with a great designer, you may be too close to empirically access if the design capitalizes on your site’s potential and every opportunity to uplift your life.
For a quarter of a century Moneca Kaiser Design Build Ltd has been renovating homes wisely. We have seen hundreds of homes that did not live up to their potential causing unnecessary strife for families and often ending up in landfills with unconscionable environmental impact.
We founded Perfected Floor Plan as an antidote to this frankly tragic situation. Together let’s make sure you have the elegant, beautiful, inspiring & nurturing home you aspire to. Like Spider Man’s uncle Ben says, with great privilege comes great responsibility. Let’s create a lasting legacy to be proud of, honouring this earth’s precious resources and the privilege of being able to afford such a wonderful home.
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