Gallery House is a commercial gallery space that spans 1,200 sq. ft. and is devoted to broadening the audiences of their artists. Creating a “home base” for artists to present their work, the gallery is situated at Dundas Street West and Morrow Avenue in Toronto. In this well-known, one-stop community, Gallery House is surrounded by some of Toronto’s most respected galleries.

The gallery enjoys pride of place on the street front, and serves as a setting to view artistic works. The intent was to provide our client with a full living space over top of the gallery while they established themselves on a full-time basis within their new neighbourhood.

The ability to redesign the entire interior also enabled us to maximize natural daylight to key areas, along with increasing passive solar gains. The incorporation of a number of water-conserving fixtures, and the inclusion of numerous low-energy appliances, have collectively added to the sustainable characteristics of this project.

Whilst being cognizant of the functionality of the spaces, the building has benefited from great investment in serviceable areas from an environmental standpoint. By introducing insulation to all external walls within the existing enclosure, we were able to utilize the increased thermal mass to stabilize indoor temperatures as well as air humidity. This, in turn, reduces all heating and cooling loads.