When you first approach Inglewood Drive Residence, a Halifax home designed by , its humble presence belies its grandeur. A low-slung volume clad in sandstone ashlar, the facade appears modest compared to its neighbours in this affluent area. The entry terrace is enclosed by a low barrier wall to create the effect of a placid respite, a small microclimate of coziness on a residential street. Around the side of house, a sandstone wall conceals a narrow stair that rises to the top and offers a framed view of the sky.
This is where the architecture’s bold sensibility asserts itself. On the home’s opposite side, a second-storey pavilion stretches out towards the Northwest Arm. It’s one of the glazed elements that “read as ‘cuts’ and ‘bites’ within the heavy monolithic walls,” as the firm explains. On a sensory level, it’s a floating expanse that suspends you high above the ground and wraps you in the arms of the Halifax Harbour, almost dissolving the visual barrier between indoors and out.
For , Inglewood Drive Residence is a classic composition – featuring three primary intersecting elements of pavilion, wing and plinth – that recalls the famous mid-century modern Case Study houses of California. Its sustainability makes it of our time (the roof is topped with solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall is mounted in the garage) and its materiality embeds it in the local context: The sandstone cladding is locally quarried and brimming with regional significance; many of Halifax’s heritage structures, including the art deco Bank of Nova Scotia building, feature the material.
For the clients, the residence is the locus for their family; and they gave MLSA three main criteria: “We wanted a house that our kids and grandkids would want to come back and visit, so something that would offer them a lot of recreational possibilities,” explains Annette, who shares the home with Willard, her husband. “We also wanted to make sure that this house was all about the view. And we needed enough wall space for our paintings.”
The art collection is astounding – and the home a worthy gallery for it. Willard, whose family has owned the plot on which Inglewood Drive Residence sits for generations, has been collecting art for decades, ever since he ran a local law firm. “I decided that the law firm would build its own office building and that we needed an art collection for it; it turned out that I enjoyed collecting art more than practicing law.”
As the years passed, and the collection grew, the firm and then the couple’s own previous home had run out of space for showing and storing art, so they donated many of their acquisitions to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. But Inglewood Drive Residence still bursts with paintings: In every room of the home, you will encounter an arrangement of remarkable canvases – a Mary Pratt here, an Alex Coville there. The den where Willard enjoys watching football on Sundays is hung with landscapes by the Group of Seven.
But this is no cold, white-walled gallery, despite its concrete floor. The interiors exude warmth. The glass pavilion, which contains the principle living spaces of kitchen, dining and sitting areas, is delineated by walnut walls and a western red cedar ceiling. The millwork is rich and solid, and a majestic central hearth – a calling card of MLSA’s residential projects – anchors the space.
Stepping out of the pavilion, you stand on the main terrace, which tops the plinth volume. (The “plinth” contains the secondary spaces, including the guest bedrooms, gym and an indoor pool with a view straight ahead to the harbour, while the “wing” contains the street-side entry, and houses the primary bedroom and ensuite and dressing areas.) The pavilion’s red cedar soffit extends to partially frame the wide-open space and conjure an elegant balance between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
“We wanted to be as close to the water as possible,” says Annette. “Willie and I both love to sit by the big window and watch the boats. It’s really fun. And it’s very tranquil.” Their children agree. “My daughter and her three children have appropriated the house, and decided it’s theirs in the summers. This past summer, we managed to get all our kids here: seven adults with spouses and eight grandchildren. And it was just a wonderful, wonderful thing.” With Inglewood Drive Residence, MLSA and their clients have created a home and an art collection that honours the place in which they live.
The post appeared first on .
Related Posts
