A semi that’s fresh, bright, clean - and sound proof

Open this photo in gallery:

Romance doesn’t normally factor into the plans when architects Nancy Chao and Luc Johnston take on a major renovation project, but these weren’t normal times. In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, with construction under way, their bachelor client Jeremy Mandel met Shorey Andrews – at a distance, of course. (The first date was in High Park, on separate picnic blankets.) As the relationship progressed along with the reno, and Ms. Andrews moved into Mr. Mandel’s social bubble, the focus shifted to creating a dream home for the couple and their antisocial cat.

Under lockdown constraints, Ms. Chao and Mr. Johnston upgraded and modernized the interior of the Victorian semi while preserving its stately exterior. Mr. Mandel was living in an apartment three doors up the street when the property came on the market in 2019. The century home was showing its age, but he loved the location in Toronto’s eclectic Ossington Village community. The house was dark and narrow, the floors were sagging and the walls were so thin that neighbours on either side of the common wall could hear each others’ conversations. “I didn’t know anything about home renovations. Zero. It was a steep learning curve,” Mr. Mandel, a software engineer manager, said during a recent tour of the beautifully transformed home.

He discovered Lloydlondon Architects, a Toronto architecture and design firm led by Ms. Chao and Mr. Johnston, through friends of friends. “Jeremy wanted something really fresh, bright and clean,” Ms Chao said in an interview. Sound-proofing was high priority; Mr. Mandel creates electronic music in his spare time. His studio is located in the basement, where the young couple also enjoys karaoke. The architects’ plan provided for noise-dampening barriers on all the shared walls. Throughout all this – with everyone working from home – the neighbours on both sides of the semi-managed to maintain a good rapport, said Ms. Andrews, a writer and editor. “If we were to have people over for a barbecue in the backyard, we’d give them a heads up. They were very cool about it. One of their kids had drum kit, they’d say ‘Hey, let us know if it’s too loud.’ There’s a great level of respect.” Penelope the cat, however, has shown little interest in befriending the neighbour’s tomcat when he comes calling at the back door, Mr. Mandel observed with a laugh.

Because of the deterioration that had occurred over time, and a patchwork of do-it-yourself fixes, the entire house had to be reframed and insulated. Lloydlondon’s custom design upgraded the large front window, and replaced the rear wall with a large sliding door to bring in more natural light. And, although it wasn’t in the original plan, a terraced deck was added to extend the indoor/outdoor living area. “Suddenly, that outdoor space took on real importance because that’s where people were forced to socialize [during the pandemic],” Mr. Johnston said. “Jeremy brought in a heat lamp, which really extends the season back there” in the fall. A mature ginko tree provides shade in the summer.

The kitchen was moved to the centre of the house, connecting the living room and dining area, with the dishwasher, microwave and pantry artfully concealed to provide a clean look. The colour scheme is consistent, minimal and sophisticated from bottom to top. With the exception of a path of charcoal grey tiles in the entry way that extend across the side wall below the stairway, the combination of white oak and white powdered steel features creates a light, airy ambience. The walls are white, with Mr. Mandel’s art collection providing pizzazz. Ms. Chao pointed out the illuminating effect of a third-floor skylight, which provides daylighting all the way to the ground floor. The impact is enhanced by the introduction of transom windows above the doors on the second floor.

Mr. Mandel and Ms. Andrews have their principal bedroom, a massive spa bathroom and an office/guest bedroom on the second floor. There’s gym equipment and a comfy couch in the third floor, with the option to build an ensuite bathroom should they decide to convert the top floor into the principal bedroom.

They love every aspect of the home, says Ms. Andrews, who happily reports that their relationship survived the stress of a major renovation during the work-from-home edict – and has stood the test of time. This past Valentine’s Day, Mr. Mandel asked Ms. Andrews to marry him. She said yes.

It’s a lovely outcome, say the husband and wife team of Mr. Johnston and Ms. Chao, who confessed to feelings of “house envy” when they finished that particular project.

SIDEBAR:

One of the most gratifying projects completed by Lloydlondon Architects in the past four years was also its smallest: The firm designed an enclosure to protect Toronto’s first community fridges from the elements. There now are several of these fridges scattered across the city, operated by volunteers and stocked with fresh food for people who can’t afford to buy it.

Architects Luc Johnston and Nancy Chao donated the design and Mr. Johnston strapped on his tool belt to help build the structure after they spotted two mini fridges outside the College Street restaurant owned by former client Julian Bentivegna. He is the executive chef at Ten Restaurant and a co-founder of Community Fridges TOronto. The architects, concerned that the fridges would not operate in cold weather, enlisted friends to contribute materials and expertise while they designed a shelter that was not only functional but attractive. “Design should be for everybody,” says Ms. Chao. That was in the summer of 2020. The need has only increased since then, says Mr. Johnston.

“We are a fine dining restaurant,” says Mr. Bentivegna, who feels a moral obligation to support members of the community who cannot afford even the basics. “It’s impossible to ignore what is going on with the affordability crisis and food insecurity. You see the lines at food banks getting longer and longer every day.” The grassroots community fridges movement is still growing, although pubic awareness of the initiative has dropped off since the pandemic. Food banks do a good job, but not all are equipped to provide perishable products and their operating hours are limited, Mr. Bentivegna says. The beauty of community fridges is that they are accessible 24/7. The original enclosure designed by Lloydlondon Architects to house the well-used fridges outside Ten Restaurant, has since been moved to another location on the east side of the city.