The clients, Jesleen and Jihad, a young professional couple expecting their first child, approached Taylor Smyth to design a new residence. They had been impressed by one of their other contemporary houses nearby, winner of the People’s Choice Award for the Ontario Association Design Excellence Awards (“House on the Bluffs”). Both sites feature breathtaking views over Lake Ontario, perched fifty feet above the lake at the edge of the cliff formation known as the Scarborough Bluffs.

Maximizing the views of the lake and embracing the landscape were guiding design inspirations. The house is focused on a two-story great room with a skylight along one side and is fully glazed at the back, with large sliding doors that open out to the backyard and swimming pool. An exterior planter extends inside, along with a vertical screen of oak slats, to define the separation between the great room and dining room. An open feature stair winds through the center of the house up to the 3rd-floor roof terrace, specifically requested by the client where they could enjoy spectacular views of the lake above the tree canopy.

Outside, the white stucco walls and black metal accent panels are combined with warm oak-look phenolic panels (Trespa) on the garage door and soffits, chosen for their no-maintenance composition, important considerations in Ontario’s widely fluctuating summer and winter climate.