A woodland home

Set within the Carolinian woodlands of Ontario’s Fonthill Kame, this new three-storey home was designed for a family of five by architects Gina Schafrick and Colin Grant from the architecture and interior design firm These Architects Inc. Its massing combines a curvilinear north-facing front with a series of geometric volumes that reflect the home’s different functions and extend southwards into the private woodland.

The project won the Residential category of the Tile Competition organised by Confindustria Ceramica with the support of the Italian Trade Agency ITA. Held every two years, the competition celebrates outstanding European and North American projects that make exemplary use of Italian ceramic tiles.

These Architects Inc. has always been highly attentive to the environment. “For this house, reusing the existing foundations saved 306 pounds (139 kg) of CO₂ per cubic metre,” explains Gina Schafrick. “Decarbonisation is part of our design paradigm. But many other elements also contribute to the home’s sustainability: the green roof canopy entrance, large windows for passive ventilation, high-performance glazing for insulation, a heat-recovery ventilation system, a tightly sealed envelope, as well as shutters and shading devices to reduce solar heat gain.”

The gentle curves of the north façade, clad in full-height sublimated walnut wood grain aluminium vertical siding, extend out to a curved cantilever on the east side, forming an oval-shaped home office and bedroom above. This sinuous face wraps around two staircases. A green steel staircase, its colour reminiscent of the natural green moss of the forest floor, leads to the private children’s bedroom wing on the second level. A second wood staircase offers a private and intimate experience as it connects directly to the cantilevered master bedroom volume above.

“For many areas of the house, we chose thin porcelain panels, a stone- and marble-inspired material that combines beauty, durability and hygiene,” adds Colin Grant. “We combined 3D textures with elements reminiscent of traditional majolica surfaces, a mix-and-match approach that gave us unlimited freedom in the choice of finishes and colours.”

Emilceramica’s Tele di Marmo Reloaded collection, chosen in the colour Quarzo Kandinsky and 60×120 cm size, was used for the floors and several walls, including the showers. The Tele di Marmo Revolution collection, also from Emilceramica, was chosen in the colour Blu Ande for the kitchen countertop, island cabinets, backsplash and bar area, extending to the surfaces in the study.

A large internal wood-clad curvilinear sculptural wall demarcates the primary living spaces from the main corridor spine on the main level and separates the public from private programming of the house. The central double height great room offers impressive views of the forest beyond. A second level library crosses this space, connecting the two bedroom volumes.

On the same level, the large master bathroom features Marazzi’s Lume brick-format (6×24 cm) tiles in bright White and Blue. This majolica-inspired look continues in the other private bathrooms, where Lume in Green is paired with the brand’s Essenziale White Flora tile with a 3D satin finish (40×120 cm).

A private exterior courtyard adjacent to the dining room provides a sheltered outdoor space that connects the interiors with the lush presence of the surrounding woodland. On the west, south and east sides, cantilevered volumes project into the landscape, creating private spaces with stunning, ever-changing views of the Fonthill Kame.