SLICE HOUSE

Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 2019

The home responds to the site's slightly off-north orientation. This orientation leads to slicing the front and back façade, and laneway which indicates due south and east. These slices remain within the inner portions of the site, leaving the outer envelope responsive to the street and lane.

The programme is carefully positioned taking into account privacy: context, seclusion, site orientation, existing landscaping, cross ventilation, and neighbouring homes. By utilizing the house and deck guard as the fence adjacent to the neighbours on the west, the backyard successfully does away with the requirement for a physical barrier separating the two lots. The kitchen space extends into the backyard taking advantage of early morning solar exposure, lasting until late afternoon. The lanehouse completes the private two storey courtyard experience.

Being in an older neighbourhood, there is an existing front porch culture. We reinterpreted the traditional front porch with stair approach, and created a stair with a tiered seat condition. The ‘teeth’ below the porch overhang is a contextual nod to the decorative cornice detailing above neighbouring porches.

The house is clad in rough sawn cedar board and batten siding, oiled in a custom light dove grey colour. The true colour of the house will not be realized for 20+ years when the cedar siding ages to its natural patina of silver-grey.

Photos by Kokomore Studio