eastbourne house

The property is located on a steep hill in the historic Manor Park neighbourhood in Ottawa and abuts a large park. The goal of the project was to use the vantage point of the hill that the home sits on as a means to frame the sightlines of the park from within the house. By framing these views of the park through a series of large, glazed openings, the small property extends more organically into the vastness of the open space beside it.

The existing home was taken down and its existing foundation was reused in the construction of the new home. Additional foundations were added to maximize the amount of room available to build according to zoning regulations. Where the property slopes down to street level, the foundation walls protrude through to create a retaining wall that seperates the laneway from the entry stair. This retaining wall, which doubles as an exterior planter, roots the square-shaped home to the site, and is clad in a heavy earth limestone. The remainder of the home is clad in dark grey brick, standing in contrast to the neighbourhood of Caper Cod houses in Ottawa. Large, black-framed windows wrap the corners of the home and extend from floor to ceiling, framing the exterior park views. More private spaces are located on the second floor, and are segregated with thinner windows which engage the horizontal lines of the home. A delicate balance of brick, cedar wood cladding, and stone is used.