In Toronto's central Summerhill neighborhood sits a steady line-up of typical 19th century workers' row houses. Nestled among them, between the colored brick facades and conventional front porches, is Twelve Tacoma, designed by the Toronto-based Aleph-Bau. Drawing on the surrounding vernacular, the design mimics the ordinary signifiers typical of the neighboring homes but with a contemporary bent, notably in its unusual choice in materials. For example, the awning over the door—standard for this block—is updated with plexiglass. The white paint further distinguishes this home as an elegant and crisp addition to the block. 

From above, the home begins to depart much more from its surroundings than one would have assumed from the street. An upper level has been added to the row house, cladded in corrugated aluminum—a material once common to industrial spaces that has gained popularity amongst architects over the years due to its affordability, durability, and availability. The extension is invisible from the street. From the back, the full vertical mass comes into view, as stacked viewpoints dissolve the borders of inside and outside.

Inside, the house tempers its modern aesthetics by keeping the interior open and transparent, bringing the nearby foliage inside and the inhabitants outdoors. The basement living room, slightly sunken with concrete bench seating, gives the feeling of a small, personal amphitheater. An upstairs bathroom, with a fitted wall of plants and a floor-to-ceiling glass door, also helps achieve the effect of inviting nature in. Large windows running all the way down the rear exterior wall brings in sunlight and reflects an energizing brightness in the interior.

Many of the design choices were reactions to Toronto's strict zoning and code regulations. The unusual geometries and addition of a rooftop terrace were a few of these responses, as was integrating small cubby holes and simple railings into the design. Working within the city's stipulations, the architects have mixed these elements to effortlessly appear as part of the original design. 

Project: Twelve Tacoma

Location: 12 Tacoma Avenue, Toronto (Canada)
Client: private

Architect: Aleph-Bau (Delnaz Yekrangian)
Design Team: Gina Gallaugher, Golara Jalalpour, Joseph McBurney, So Tadachi, Fabiana Todescan, Leila Sadri, Kazem Yekrangian

Design: 2013
Completion: 2016
GFA: 114 sqm (1.223 sqft)
Structural Engineer: Blackwell
Metalwork: Unitech Metal

Photography: Tom Arban, Kunaal Mohan (drone photography)

Text: Alison Hugil

More images in the gallery below.