71 VICTORIA STREET WEST

71 VICTORIA STREET WEST

In converting this small, two-storey, 120-year-old brick storefront building on the main street of Alliston, Ontario into an architect’s studio, two qualities – “open space” and “flexibility” – were deemed vital for its success. Demolition revealed highly textured brick demising walls on the long sides of the studio, which were immediately considered precious rust-coloured interior finishes. With that, a contemporary architectural design language was introduced to the historic building, complementing the newly revealed textured brick demising walls.

The stepped and folded drywall ceilings, which are found throughout the studio, were inspired by amusing work habits, where rejected paper sketches oftentimes become folded paper airplanes. Fully choreographed with the built-in desks below, the stepped ceilings have also become an in-house design tool, whereby staff can debate ceiling height while standing under the various ceilings, when in the process of designing a building.

Interior window surrounds were also given an equally dramatic set of folded forms, rendering dramatic light play to the frames, without having to adjust any of the building’s existing exterior window openings.

To gain a unified appearance on the main street and to conceal the many brick repairs that were necessary, the front elevation was painted a dark grey, a colour popular during the Victorian era. This new dark facade, in combination with custom-made Spanish cedar windows and front door, give the building’s exterior a strikingly bold quality, while keeping all the existing brick details of this historic main street building.

LOCATION: Alliston, Ontario

ARCHITECT: LINEVISION Architects

DESIGN LEADERSHIP: Michael Poitras,
Principal-in-Charge of Design

CLIENT: Withheld

STATISTICS:

  • No. of storeys: 2 + finished basement
  • Total area:
    1,500 ft2 (139.35 m2)

MATERIALS:

  • Brick (orange-cinnamon)
  • Silver pre-finished metal panels
  • Spanish cedar wood windows & doors
  • Horizontal tongue & groove cedar siding
  • Rubber flooring (grey & black)
  • Carpet (grey)
  • Drywall walls & ceilings (white & black)

GENERAL PROGRAM:

  • Small boardroom
  • Drafting + computer work stations
  • Materials library
  • Specifications library
  • Kitchenette
  • Files & storage
  • Print room

COST: Withheld

COMPLETION: 2010