A 1970s chalet in Belfountain, Ontario was reworked into a contemporary family home within a wooded Niagara Escarpment slope. The northern portion of the original structure was retained while the southern half was extended along the existing footprint through reuse, excavation, and sectional adjustment. The home was planned for a philosopher, an artist, their children, and a dog, balancing work, play, study, and movement. The slope is used as the organizing structure, with floors stepping with the land and rooms opening across changing levels. A gradual arrival leads from a pool and separate studio through a compressed timber-lined mudroom into a tall living room with exposed rafters. A long roof spans four levels, while diagonal red steel beams and a suspended net add structure and play within the main social space.
"Hidden among a sprawling, forested site, the residence keeps the northern portion of the original structure and extends the southern half along the existing footprint, allowing the project to grow through reuse, excavation, and sectional adjustment."
"Instead of treating the slope as a backdrop, the team uses it as the organizing structure. Floors step with the land, rooms open across changing levels, and the building gathers beneath a long roof that stretches across the hillside."
"The entry begins in a compressed, timber-lined mudroom, then opens into a tall living room where exposed rafters extend toward the canopy outside. The shift feels direct and physical, moving from enclosure into height."
"Above the living area, a large suspended net becomes part guardrail, part hammock, and part play surface. It gives the main room a looser social edge, where children can climb overhead while adults remain connected across the floor below."
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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