The project requirement called for a 2,000 sf addition as well as  an interior renovation to an existing house dating from the 1920s, including a new kitchen, master bedroom suite, enclosed parking, storage, and exterior patio space.

The architectural design for this residence by Houser Walker Architecture, marries a new, ‘lofty’ master suite and terraces to the rear of an existing 1920s brick bungalow. Renovations include a new kitchen, family room, and stair to existing attic rooms.

Formally, the addition is comprised of interlocked volumes shifting and slipping away from the existing structure, forming a new courtyard bridging the old and new faces of the house. Each volume is composed of a different constructional and material tectonic. Slippages between volumes create exterior spaces that offer either intimacy or the ability to entertain multitudes.
A glazed hallway, revealing the life of the home within and providing light deep into the new addition, weaves together both sections of the house. Complementary textures - rough stone and smooth stucco; horizontal brick and vertical cypress boards, transparent and opaque glazing, etc. – provides a variety of kinesthetic architectural experiences without resorting to mimicry of the original structure.
The title ‘BiG House’ not only refers to the owner’s initials, but also alludes to one of the primary goals for the house - making a case for densifying and rebuilding existing neighbourhoods without needing to resort to bombastic “McMansions” or other bloated domestic strategies.





Project credits

Houser Walker Architecture

Project Designer and Architect: Gregory Walker

Project team: Melissa Cooper, Scott Ball, Seth Hendler, .


Structural Engineering: Palmer Engineering-
Baku Patel, Principal Engineer

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