The Craven Road House and Studio, designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, has received a heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. The house and studio, completed in 1996 and 2006 respectively, are owned by architectural historian Robert G. Hill, FRAIC. The house received a Governor General’s Award in 1997 and the studio was recognized with a Governor General’s Medal in 2010.
Craven Road Studio. Photo by Bob Gundu
The designation marks an expansion of the City of Toronto’s definition of heritage properties, to now include buildings completed as recently as 2010. This is a departure from many municipalities that hold to a strict rule that buildings must be at least 40 years old to be considered “heritage.” Since completion, the house and studio and their landscaped setting have been extensively published in Canada and internationally. They are widely acclaimed as proof that architectural excellence through meticulous design standards can be achieved on a tight budget and at a compact scale.
Craven Road Studio. Photo by Bob Gundu
The property’s designation was instigated by owner Robert G. Hill, an architect at KPMB, and the creator of the Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950. Hill purchased the 25-by-93-foot-lot for $65,000 in 1993. Because of the limitations of the bank loan associated with the vacant lot, had a limited budget for building a home. He engaged Howard Sutcliffe (his then-colleague at KPMB) and...