Glulam horseshoe arches frame an addition that extends through this suburban home?s former courtyard. Photo by Nanne Springer
In a Scottish accent sanded down by nearly three decades of living in Toronto, architect Will Hudson promises we will see ?some funny fish? in the neighbourhood we are approaching for a site visit. The older homes in this Mississauga suburb are large and serve up a cheery potluck of ranch styles on generous lots. The newer residences are gargantuan and incline toward Versailles variations, with just enough Bond-villain lairs tossed in to keep things interesting.
A few years ago, a mutual acquaintance recommended Hudson Architecture to the owners of a 1940s hacienda-style house in this neighbourhood. They wanted an addition that would connect them, year-round, to the beautiful mature trees on their front lawn and across the street, where a hydro corridor running parallel to the roadway fortuitously precludes the materialization of a McMansion. Another architect had proposed stacking some new boxes on top of their existing home. Underwhelmed, the owners sought an alternative. Hudson had one, but wondered whether it was too ?out there? to share. The house?s main façade was chock-a-block with arches: a row of arches pierced the courtyard-delineating wall that spanned from the garage on the left to what was then the master bedroom on the right, and a triplet of arched windows added another smidgen of ¡ole! to the master bedroom?s front wall. The idea th...