Deerwood House is a high-performance, 1,700 square foot modern box in the woods north of Toronto. Our clients’ key design goals were a modern aesthetic, a flat roof, and a downsize in square footage while maintaining many programmatic elements. Comfort, energy efficiency, aging-in-place, and low-maintenance were also driving factors in the design.
The owners, a newly retired couple, wanted to downsize from their previous home where they had raised their children and had run a small business. Their new smaller house is situated in a beautiful clearing in the forest on a nearby 50-acre parcel of land.
The property is comprised of rolling hills formed by ancient glaciers. The glacial till deposits also left boulders, gravel, and small trees unique to this part of Ontario. The driveway construction revealed large boulders underneath, which the owners have used to create picturesque sculptures on the property.
The site of the house is on top of a crest overlooking a small valley to the south, and there is a beautiful ironwood tree that is the focal point of many of the home’s views. To the west is a mature maple forest, and to the north and east are smaller trees and open fields. The surrounding woods are home to many deer that occasionally make themselves visible from the picture windows.