Canadian Homes

You can’t help but notice that Riverhouse is unlike any other home along the banks of the Niagara River. Just upstream from Horseshoe Falls, outside of Toronto, the home was sited to take advantage of unencumbered river views. The distinctly modern design, which is comprised of three distinct, horizontal masses, was brought to life using materials primarily found in commercial construction. The end result is a home that architect Jason M. Zerafa, of Zerafa Architecture Studio, hopes will redefine the way homes are built along the Niagara River. Canadian Builders Quarterly recently sat down with Zerafa to talk more about the home and how best to evolve the aesthetic of the region.

CBQ: How did the site inform your design?
Jason Zerafa: The principal feature of the 1.85-acre site is the unobstructed river view across the full 164-foot width of the property. I thought, “If we’re going to build a house here, it has to be all about the water views.”

CBQ: How did you maintain the relationship between the Riverhouse and the river?
JZ: Our idea was to find a balance between the relative transparency encouraged by the views and the privacy concerns of the owners. We brought a lot of glass to the ground floor, so there’s basically a glass box between the privacy of the backyard and the river, with a series of service spaces lining the southern part of the house providing a buffer from the neighbours. All of the more private areas, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, are on the second floor.

CBQ: How did you choose the materials?
JZ: The client, a young couple [with ties to] a family-owned commercial building business, had relationships with commercial contractors, and that’s the construction they understood. We decided to make use of the commercial trades—curtain-wall and aluminum-panel contractors, concrete contractors, and steel fabricators. This defined how the house was going to get made. During construction, the team joked that the neighbours may have thought they were getting a grocery store.

CBQ: What about the exterior façade?
JZ: Regarding the exterior material palette itself, the owners felt it was important for the cladding materials to be both rich and varied. In response, the design features glass, aluminum, quartzite, and granite cladding. An extensive use of cedar lines the decks, soffits, and façade returns, providing a warm transition to the interior.

CBQ: How have people reacted to the home?
JZ: Overwhelmingly positive, which surprised me a little. Homes built on this river over the past 20 years have been the same as homes built anywhere; no one had fully taken advantage of what was inherently special about this location. This home is different. I had dinner there this winter, and looking outside, I could see blocks of ice floating down river, giving the impression that the house was moving. It’s an experience none of the traditional homes there offer, so I hope this home is a catalyst for people in the area to think about relating a house more directly to the site.