A Split-level Design for a Toronto Laneway House

Toronto’s stock of detached homes in short supply and laneway houses are an enticing alternative to condo living. Building a laneway house in Toronto is now within reach of many more homeowners thanks to recent changes in city zoning laws. Your laneway back alley dream house comes with its own unique set of challenges. Your future laneway house will require copious planning, imaginative design and a lot of patience. In the case of this modern 135-square-metre home in Harbord Village, currently used as a medium-term rental, the results were worth the effort.

The Building

The project began with a crumbling, 100-year-old house set directly against the property’s back lane. And so a collaboration between ZZ Contracting’s Zeke Kaplan, who is also the property owner, and Brock James of LGA Architectural Partners was born. Working within the existing two-storey envelope and utilizing 50 per cent of the existing structure allowed LGA (along with Moses Structural Engineers) to build without seeking zoning variances. As we all know, this is a potentially difficult and time-consuming process.

A deep Douglas fir surround in the living room frames the bi-fold front entrance door by Bigfoot. Radiant-heated polished cement floors run throughout.

Kent Aggus of Built Work designed the Douglas fir kitchen, including the middle stair that extends across to a room-dividing unit, and acts as a bench containing storage.

Reimagining the Space

The site’s dimensions necessitated some creative design solutions to maximize space. Hence the sunken kitchen and oversized “dormers” to house the upper bedrooms. “The design demarcates spaces while also using the square footage in a unique way,” says Kaplan. “The actual footprint of the building hasn’t changed. Between adding dormers and the split-level design, it feels a lot bigger than it actually is.”

The metal stair (by Uni-Tech Metal Works) that connects the first and second floors was soldered on site. Perforated magnetic steel panels on the columns conceal services.

In the upstairs bathroom: operable skylight by Velux, glass tiles from Olympia, solid Bianco Namibia marble from Counter Culture and shower fixtures from Roman Bath Centre.

Better Indoor/Outdoor Connections

Further maximizing the livable area, the home’s glass front accordions open, turning the lush, landscaped yard into an extension of the living room. Upstairs, the master bedroom similarly opens onto a small green roof planted with lavender. Rather than trying to hide the laneway, lane-facing clerestory on the main floor is positioned above head height. This ensures privacy while allowing for light, air-flow and a perfectly framed view of the patinated garages nearby.

In the northeast-facing guest bedroom, the window glass is mitred to allow for full views of the neighbourhood. Bed from Ikea.

The Construction

The site’s size and location required rethinking otherwise routine operations, like pumping concrete through an unfinished skylight. Trenchless “torpedo” technology was also used to run gas, sewage and power lines underground from the street. The project also necessitated constant cooperation with neighbours to ensure supplies, contractors and machinery could come and go for the duration of the year-long build. “There were a lot of conversations,” says Zeke Kaplan. “We were mindful of the density and wanted to communicate that, just so everyone was on the same page.”

The front design of the laneway house, facing onto the shared property, is clad with restored Douglas fir barnboard salvaged from the original structure. The roof is planted with lavender below the dormers.

The End Result

None of this complex process is obvious from the finished product, which sits clad in a grey, seamed metal. It’s the only one of its kind on this laneway but, judging from the interest both Zeke Kaplan and LGA have received from this project so far, that may not be the case for long.

The house’s relationship with the laneway design to the west and property to the east is revealed in these section drawings, as is where floors were lifted or lowered for maximum ceiling height.

Read our roundup of Toronto laneway houses.