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Architects: Turkel Design
- Area: 4300 ft²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Maxime Brouillet
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Manufacturers: Marvin, Thermalwood
Text description provided by the architects. Reflecting the owners’ long-standing respect and love for the nineteenth-century farm and buildings gracing its 100-acre site, Mulmur Hills Farm carefully settles at the edge of a nearby forest. Beyond a wall of stacked local granite, the rooms of the home open graciously out to views and fields, welcoming the free flow of breezes and the movement of family, friends, and dogs alike.
The home was conceived as both a frequent escape from nearby Toronto and as a part-time residence for several generations of a growing family. Intended for fireside intimacy, connection with nature, and sharing holiday gatherings, the home is warm, receptive, and durable.
The great room opens outward beneath an expanse of laminated Douglas fir beams and western red cedar soffiting. To balance rusticity and refinement, the architects developed a custom beam type with laminations running on both axes of the section: the center of the beam comprises new-growth architectural-grade laminated Douglas fir, while the edges are finished with a structural lamination of water-salvaged old-growth finger-jointed Douglas fir. The resulting beams have the grain and texture of fine furniture yet use only modest amounts of old-growth material.
The building sits in a zone with a substantial snow load, which required the beams to be of somewhat heroic dimensions to meet the client’s desire for a wooden structure. The architects hung the roof plane inside the section of the beam, thus establishing a thinner profile and making the overall proportions of the roof more appropriate to a residence. On the upper floor, cross-laminated timber (CLT) supports a cantilevered yoga and painting studio that offers refuge and views of the entire acreage.
Both the architect and client insisted that the home use local materials and trades wherever possible. To promote sustainability and reduce onsite noise and vehicle trips, the structure and shell were prefabricated just outside the client’s native Quebec City. These panelized components are made of domestically engineered wood products, resulting in a straighter, tighter building. The blackened cladding is of thermally modified ash, contributing to the durability and beauty of the home.
Many of the finish details were made locally by an old family friend working closely with the architect, from selecting walnut and oak flitches for the casework to crafting the custom bent aluminum fascia and gutters, to shaping the ideal handrail to best suit the client’s grasp.
Relying on locally sourced woods, along with concrete, stone walls, and blackened metal accents, Mulmur Hills Farm is both refined and rustic, simple and open. It honors the rolling woodlands and agricultural heritage of the site.
