Parkdale Laneway House

The original idea was modest. A couple in Parkdale with young kids and demanding jobs wanted to replace their dilapidated laneway garage with a new one, which could double as a woodworking space.

But as they did their research, it dawned on them: for a bit more effort, they could have a whole new house along with that new garage.

A laneway house would meet their need for storage and give them a second rental income (they already had a rental unit in the basement). And it could also serve as a smart idea for the future: should aging parents, adult kids, or even their future selves as empty nesters, want a lovely little home in the city, it would be available. Even if none of those scenarios come to pass, it would dramatically increase the value of the property should they ever wish to sell. And with it being a well-designed, well-built, energy efficient home, it will prove itself over time in lower operating costs, durability, and its sense of belonging on the laneway.

This project had its fun and challenges, including a hundred-year-old walnut tree in the backyard that had to be treated with great care and attention. The finished product is a gorgeous modern, sustainable home with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, floods of natural light, and secluded outdoor spaces.

Joël Campbell of Laneway Custom Build was the builder on this project, as well as other laneway house projects of ours, and we can attest that his work is excellent! And wait until you see the interiors by Aunt Benny! Their work is stunning, and we can’t wait to show you.

This project is a glowing example of how savvy, Toronto property owners can take an underused portion of land they already own and, with clever design and smart construction, create a valuable and beautiful new asset.

We can’t wait to show you more of this exciting laneway house!

We had three key design challenges on this project: space, light, and privacy.

The maximum size for a Toronto laneway house is 8 meters wide by 10 meters deep. With the great size of this property, we designed this laneway house almost to that maximum limit. Half the ground floor is taken up by the garage, with the residence portion taking up the rest of the ground floor and the entire second floor. In all, the building is 1,410 square feet over two levels. Of that total, the residence is 1,080 square feet, and the garage is 330 square feet.

When space is that tight, smart choices are paramount.

We made choices that maximized space. For example, a clever cubby under the stairs brings storage to an otherwise unused space. We also made choices to maximize the perception of spaciousness. A glass handrail on the stairs and the open treads on the upper portion give you clear sight lines, contributing to a sense of openness.

Bringing light into the house required bold glazing. Huge skylights above the stairs, sliding glass doors off the kitchen-dining area, and massive windows in the upstairs living room flood the house with light. A long horizontal window in the side wall of the living room frames views of the neighbourhood trees. Even the upstairs bathroom, which faces the backyard of the main house, has both privacy and ample light thanks to frosted glass, which gives the room a spa-like feel.

Privacy was a fascinating challenge. How do you create secluded areas when there is so little available space and when other people live so close by? First, we positioned the house right up against the property line on one side, creating a small outdoor space on the other side for the occupants’ private use.

Next, we designed the house not as a simple cube but as two rectangular boxes, offset in their stacking: the top floor pushes right up against the laneway, whereas the lower floor is set several feet back. This design, with some lush planters along the laneway, allowed us to create a secluded ground level terrace off the kitchen-dining area. The shifted-box design also reduces the visual impact of the laneway house when viewed from the main house. When the green roof goes in – which will cover the section of lower-level roof that is visible from the main house – the laneway house will further blend in with the scenery.