Future-Proof Home

Clad in shiny corrugated galvalume, Pocket Laneway House rises up and over a carport, propped aloft partly by a v-configured steel column on helical piers. This structure’s eye-catching, treehouse-like massing is anything but arbitrary: by making minimal contact with the ground, the residence preserves the root health of a mature maple tree on this constrained site.

Full view of exterior
Photo credit: Birdhouse Media

Looking down stairs
Photo credit: David Whittaker

Kitchen/Dining
Photo credit: David Whittaker

The owners are a travel writer and a recently retired buffalo rancher, with two young children at home and one older child living independently. The couple originally selected Weiss Architecture + Urbanism to design their Toronto home, which occupies the street-facing portion of the same lot. They envisioned the main residence as a place that would adapt to accommodate not only the changing needs of their maturing kids, but also their own long-term aging-in-place plans. From the outset, they also knew they wanted a laneway house on the property that could at some point become a caregiver’s residence, and they once again turned to Weiss Architecture + Urbanism to design it.

Living Room
Photo credit: David Whittaker

Bedroom
Photo credit: David Whittaker

Entry gate from laneway
Photo credit: Birdhouse Media

Weiss A+U founding principal, Kevin Weiss, cites his space-age childhood as a source of inspiration for the laneway house’s aesthetic. Tempering the structure’s retro-futuristic look are the cedar cladding on the carport's underside and the vivid accent paint colours, which were inspired by the clients' love of folk art.

Weiss Architecture & Urbanism Limited

Founded in 2012 by architect and urban designer Kevin Weiss, Weiss Architecture & Urbanism Limited is a Toronto-based firm renowned for its commitment to design excellence and innovation. With over three decades of experience, Weiss established the firm to focus on custom residential, educational, and civic projects.