Concrete House in Toronto by Angela Tsementzis

Concrete House in Toronto is Angela Tsementzis’ first stand-alone building, showcasing the architect’s finesse for textures and materiality. Tsementzis used concrete as both the home’s main structure and aesthetic finish, highlighting its elasticity with a daring 12m cantilever, and its versatility, using it both polished and rough to create different feelings on different surfaces and in different spaces. Facing the road, the house is spare and opaque. Towards a ravine off the backyard, it unfurls in an expressive cascade. This dichotomy maximises visitors experience of the landscape.

Concrete House was built for husband and wife and their two children. The couple, who run a branding studio, wished for the design of the 380sqm home to be centred around their passion for nature, and ‘pure, honest and refined aesthetics.’ Responding to the natural setting, the architect used a carefully edited material palette inspired by the earth.

The lowest of the three volumes lies semi-submerged into the sloping ravine and contains the family room. Situated directly above, housed within a slightly larger volume, is the living, dining and kitchen areas. As the owners love to entertain and cook, they requested an open plan and spacious kitchen, which features a unit designed by Bulthaup. This space cantilevers 12m forward, directly into a cluster of neighbouring trees, providing the home with a sheltered outdoor environment and creating a feeling of living in the wilderness.