Gerrard St. Bungalow
This project involves the comprehensive renovation and vertical expansion of a single-storey detached house typical of the post–World War II bungalow found throughout Toronto’s east end. These East York bungalows are generally characterized by a simple rectangular footprint, with living, dining, and kitchen spaces at the front of the house, two bedrooms and a single bathroom toward the rear, and a centrally located basement stair with secondary access—often enabling future conversion to a basement unit.
The existing structure was stripped back to its original masonry walls and reimagined through a full second-storey addition, including an 8-foot rear extension at the upper level. This intervention allowed the homeowners to remain within the community they love while expanding the house to accommodate the needs of a growing family.
At the ground floor, the rear wall was opened to extend the interior living space outward beneath a covered rear deck, strengthening visual and physical connections to the tree-lined corridor beyond the site. This move enhances daylight, views, and the relationship between interior living spaces and the natural landscape at the rear of the property.
Approval through the Committee of Adjustment was required to achieve the additional square footage. The proposal was well received and praised as a thoughtful and creative approach to increasing interior space while preserving valuable outdoor area. By stepping the addition back at the rear and avoiding a full two-storey massing, the design respects adjacent properties and maintains access to light and air along the shared backyard corridor.
The second storey accommodates three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full laundry room, and a flexible office space capable of functioning as a fourth bedroom, significantly improving the functionality of the home while maintaining a modest footprint.
Great care was taken to respect both the typology of the existing bungalow and the character of the surrounding streetscape. The new gable roof aligns with the established rhythm of pitched roofs along the street, reinforcing a sense of continuity while representing a gentle and inevitable evolution of density within the neighbourhood. The original red brick masonry is retained at the lower level, anchoring the house in its historical context and creating a dialogue between heritage materiality and contemporary intervention.
To further preserve the home’s relationship to the street, all existing window and door openings at the front and sides were maintained. This strategy reinforces the recognizable bungalow form and ensures the addition reads as a careful adaptation rather than a replacement. While the streetscape has evolved over time through incremental improvements and additions, this project contributes to that evolution in a manner that is restrained, contextual, and respectful of its setting.
