Waymar
Waymar
When reviewing spectacular Waymar Home, one may never guess it was probably one of the most challenging designs FrankFranco has completed. Located just outside of Toronto, the client not only asked to capitalize on the natural attributes of the property but also for an unconventional bungalow with spaces that functioned traditionally. The test for FrankFranco: performing both duties upon a lot that slopes from the road to the rear property line and is completely devoid of a plateau. A contemporary and creative approach therefore was required to maximize the angular conditions of the site.
FrankFranco took advantage of the slope by positioning the garage and driveway on the lot’s lower side and by tucking both beneath the land mass. The home was then stacked above the garage and given two pavilions. The entertaining pavilion was placed at the rear and opened to the yard, and the bedroom pavilion, situated at the front, was connected to the internal courtyard between the two buildings. The entrance is accessed from the driveway by ascending a staircase between the I-shaped structure. This created a clear delineation between the private side (sleeping quarters) and the public side (where they would entertain).
FrankFranco capitalized on the separate buildings by making them co-dependent, using each to create and formalize interior-exterior spaces for one another. For instance, the roof of the garage doubled as one terrace of the stepped backyard while the wall of the living pavilion fortified the courtyard and screened the bedroom wing. The roofs were clipped to accommodate the courtyards. Another advantage of designing separate buildings was that each could be heated and cooled by passive solar independently of one another, depending on when they are used. The energy requirements are refined because the spaces are partitioned. And architecturally, the spaces were carved and sculpted in concert with the outdoor rooms.
For the cladding, FrankFranco utilized a texturized precast assembly that looks and behaves like limestone. Using precast allows prefabrication which ultimately speeds up installation. Additionally, an oculus was incorporated into this project. A circular retaining wall for the landscaping at the rear was crafted from Corten steel and within that circle a linear pool was positioned with a bridge to a terraced portion of the naturally sloping yard. Waymar Home was a study on how to manipulate a site to create architectural extensions of the home as part of the landscaping.
