Echo House | Paul Raff Studio

The design of Echo House transformed an existing residence to resonate with its surroundings. Set on an expansive property on the Bridle Path in Toronto, it marries and connects beautifully with its landscape. Its subtle material detailing quietly evokes the Asian heritage of the cosmopolitan family it was designed for. The design also resulted in a reduction of energy consumption of approximately 50%.

Approaching the house, the front façade is articulated with a long, low limestone wall, with a taller volume of dark raked stucco beyond. Within the frame of the wall, an array of fine wooden screens creates a delicately layered forecourt.

Orchestrating a very considered, but no-holds-barred reconstruction created a subtle, dramatic, and refined family home. The house is newly reoriented to the outdoors and is characterized by serene and sculptural forms. Subtle thresholds of layered spaces, balancing discrete enclosure with high and outward looking spaces, create an atmosphere of peacefulness and subtle drama.

The homeowners say, “It is an expansive house, but feels intimate and peaceful. The spaces flow beautifully. We feel like we live in a garden.”