Manor - Whole Home Renovation and Exterior Update (Ottawa)

The main entry detail into the renovated house at Manor Avenue is a stunning glass and steel passage into the incredible home. Replacing an older wood porch cover from the 1980’s renovation that didn’t quite suit the home, the new structure rises from the existing stone pillars. The grand and formal nature of this entry way offers a counter point to the lower and wood clad side entry into the Legacy Gallery where the family can come and go. The glass and steel, stunning by day, and brilliantly lit at night lead guests up the stone stairs into the home, comfortable regardless of weather. The glass, framed with anodized aluminum to match the new windows used throughout the project, fits more naturally in front of the new steel siding. The steel frame was assembled and coated off site and delivered in two ‘n’ shaped pieces which were then erected and tied together with coated steel tie rods. The coating for the steel frame was colour matched to the prefab siding panels which clad the projecting foyer. The foyer was another pre-existing element which saw a significant remake during this renovation. On the outside, its old siding was replaced with pre-fabricated panels finished in a white Alpolic coating. The panels wrap up and around the soffit and fascia, giving all the elements a uniformly clean and modern look. At the side, a new round window was installed in place of an old convex ‘fish eye’ glazing as a reminder of the previous state of the entry. As a further architectural balance, it looks down onto a square window at the side of the family foyer in the Legacy Gallery. The change to the inside was equally drastic. While doors and once divided the foyer from the rest of the home, it now opens directly into the living room space. The change in floor plain maintains a cold break between the two while contributing to the amazing feeling of openness that has been added to the home. The various elements of the Canopy and entry work together to form a dynamic architectural element and to create an appropriate frontage for what is a truly amazing home.