chris collaris architects designs villa with locally-sourced materials amidst meadow in canada

the dutch design office chris collaris architects designed house h, a villa in mount brydges, overlooking the green fields and woods in the rural area of southwestern ontario, canada. adjacent to a plot of 50 hectares, mainly consisting of seasonal beans fields and woods, the site proved to be the ideal location for the client’s dream villa. 

chris collaris architects designed the villa to fit the client’s present needs and potential future wishes. the design also had to meet the demands of a big family, because of the client’s family in the future that would include grown children and grandchildren.

the program and the use of spaces had the most important influence on the architectural design of the private residence. all the living spaces were placed on the same floor, creating a central atrium which connects all spaces and brings in light from the innermost part of the building structure.

natural daylight comes from above and most of the long sight lines in the villa go through the atrium. every space on the floor plan has a different relationship and orientation towards the outside. surrounded by green bean fields and woods, the view is different in every room.

the villa is specifically designed considering the climate of southwest ontario, where summers can be very hot and winters are cold and snowy. the villa was designed with a big canopy all around it, stretching longer and shorter in different directions. this element keeps the intense sunlight and warmth out of the house in summer, but retains the heat during the cold in winter.

the materials used in the villa come from local production areas. the natural stone floors used both in the interiors and exteriors, and the facade stone, come from a quarry in ontario. the douglas fir cladding of the canopy comes from a local forest, and some furniture pieces such as the coat rack and dining table, are made with wood of old trees from the plot. the big green roof, made of liveroof ontario, has been produced on the fields of the green nursery next to the plot. 

using local materials and resources was important for the client, along with having a sustainable home for the future family. this way, the villa was designed as a future-proof sustainable home for the whole family, made with things which were pleasantly close.

project info: 

architectural design: chris collaris architects 

client: private 

floor area: 440 m2 (bruto) 

basement area: 373 m2 (bruto)

roof area: 610 m2 (bruto) 

location: mount brydges, canada 

building start: january 2017 

delivery: november 2019 

photography: tim van de velde 

structural engineer: chet liu, y.c. liu engineering 

construction architecture: mildon homes ltd 

construction interior: cardinal fine cabinetry 

products used in design: liveroof ontario, douglas fir tilsonburg, eramosa stone from wiarton buff limestone quarrier

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