YZ House
An extensive character home transformation in Kensington, Calgary
Location Kensington, Calgary
Size 1800 sq. ft
Status Complete
Status Complete
A bright contemporary refuge behind an original character facade
Located just steps from Kensington road, the YZ renovation and addition blends the old and the new, highlighting existing features of the home by bringing in natural light and organizational clarity. The house's new rear addition opens up possibilities for blended indoor and outdoor entertaining in the dog days of summer, while enriching the interior with abundant natural light and views. Material and geometric cues are taken from the original house to create warm exterior wood-clad alcoves for cooking and tending plants next to the kitchen on the ground floor, or sitting and enjoying the sunrise outside the second floor master bedroom.
The mudroom serves as a contemplative threshold as one enters the house from the backyard. Warm wood tones denote three "portals" between exterior and interior through which one enters the house, sits to remove their shoes, and then continues into the kitchen.
The deep doorways, dark slate flooring, minimal cabinetry details, and single secluded window reinforce this calming transition from the stress of the exterior world to the refuge of the home.
A key request by the client was to provide space for their young son to work, eat, and play within range of the kitchen so that that the clients could cook their nightly meals together while also being able to supervise. In response, a homework desk was incorporated into the kitchen millwork, which can be hidden when not in use.
A short custom table creates a space for informal dining by the glass patio doors, strategically placed to provide views of the yard and connect with outdoor cooking and entertaining.
The kitchen is designed to promote an organized lifestyle and bridge seamlessly between the new and existing parts of the house. The white walls, cabinetry details, and birch flooring are left simple to contrast and highlight the original texture-rich brick chimney and exposed pipes.
In the basement, the cracked concrete foundation was structurally underpinned and reinforced to extend the house’s lifespan. Close attention was paid to the circulation spaces of the YZ House to bring in light and create transition between public and private spaces. The basement uses a custom in-house CNC milled screen to frame a feature moment at the stair landing and maximize light from the glass side door, while the main floor stairs employ subtle material accents to compliment the existing trims and reinforce the privacy of the upper floor bedrooms.
The master bathroom serves as the focal point of the private upstairs programs. A luxurious shower room features a skylight and space for plants, creating an immersive and near-tropical retreat as part of one’s daily routine.
Design Damon Hayes Couture Project Management Fraser MacIver Project Photography Hayden Pattullo Videography Brendan Kane Presentation Drawing Lauren Rueb
Project Photography Hayden Pattullo Videography Brendan Kane Presentation Drawing Lauren Rueb
Presentation Drawing Lauren Rueb