Bloorcourt Multiplex

Bloorcourt Multiplex is a renovation of an early 20th-century detached house in Toronto’s Bloorcourt neighbourhood. A former rooming house turned legal triplex, it is now a fourplex. The property sits on an unusually deep lot, the result of a laneway that was planned but never built.

The upper unit had limited storage, and the only route from it to the backyard ran out the front door and around the side of the house. What began as an upgrade to the three existing units became a full redesign: an energy-efficient fourplex with an owner-occupied upper suite, a main-floor rental with a private terrace, and two new basement apartments.

Reconfiguring the basement made room for a fourth unit with two compact apartments instead of one. Each basement unit has its own entrance, one at the front and one at the rear.

The main-floor apartment has two bedrooms and a large terrace off the living area that opens to the backyard, providing tenants with a more house-like experience in the city.

The owners’ suite on the second and third floors gained a private entrance from the front porch. Inside, a central bearing wall was removed to open the kitchen and living areas, and new structure and a ceiling coffer visually expand the space. A large island anchors the kitchen, which now opens onto a new steel-and-concrete deck with stairs down to the garden. Crown moulding, a cathedral-ceilinged bedroom with skylight, and an attic loft for storage complete the suite.

Our building partner Eco-Flats Developments expertly phased construction so the owners could stay in the home throughout. They lived in their original suite until the lower levels were finished, then moved to the main-floor unit while work continued above.

The basement was underpinned to gain the height needed for two legal apartments. Each has a private entry and is fully separated from the rest of the building. Double layers of 5/8″ drywall on resilient steel channels, insulated joist cavities and new floor joists improve sound separation and thermal performance.

Energy performance was a priority throughout, with new insulation and high-efficiency mechanical systems in every unit. Each of the rental units has its own individually controlled electric heat pump, with no shared ducts. The owners’ suite keeps its radiators, now served by a relocated on-demand boiler, and the building is roughed in for a backup generator.

Outside, a custom steel deck with a concrete pan and exposed aggregate finish gives the owners their own outdoor space and, finally, a direct path to the backyard.

Builder: Eco-Flats Developments
Structural: Contact Engineering
Mechanical: Filament Energy
Photography: Kira Noel Photography