项目名称：北约克森林住宅

地点：多伦多，加拿大

设计团队：Denegri Bessai Studio

建筑面积：7080 ft²

竣工时间：2024年

摄影：Scott Norsworthy

设计特色：

项目 - Denegri Bessai Studio为多伦多北约克社区的一座中世纪现代平房注入了新生命，将其从狭窄、不连贯的空间转变为充满光线的家庭住宅，彰显了其边缘森林的环境特色。这次改造设计巧妙地保留了住宅的现代主义特色，同时引入了当代元素，提升了其功能性和美学吸引力。

最引人注目的改造是主楼层的戏剧性开放，建筑师们用一个宽敞、通风的生活区取代了一系列小型隔间，几乎跨越了整个房屋长度。这一大胆举措配合后墙安装的落地玻璃幕墙，在室内空间与外部自然景观之间创造了近乎无缝的连接——这是一种以当代精确度执行的典型现代主义理念。

在开放式空间上方，新拱形天花板采用温暖的道格拉斯冷杉装饰，将住宅独特的屋顶线条引入室内，增添了视觉趣味并强化了空间感。房间中央的结构柱本可能是设计挑战，却被转化为艺术焦点，覆盖着墨西哥城手工制作的TATA瓷砖，向客户的文化传承致敬。

低调的二楼加建展示了设计团队对原始建筑的敏感性。其桥式结构增加了宝贵空间，同时不破坏平房的现代主义形态，而其与街道立面的后退设计营造出层次感，令人联想到风景画中不同距离的山脉。室内，加建部分容纳了两间儿童卧室，围绕着一个俏皮的双层挖空设计，将光线引入下方的餐厅。

在整个项目中，设计师们平衡了尊重保护与创新游戏性，创造了令人愉悦的空间，如允许孩子们与下方空间互动的"躲猫猫"观景点。其结果是一个既尊重其中世纪根源又满足当代家庭生活需求的住宅——从街道看起来变化不大，而内部却提供了彻底改善的焕然一新生活体验。

团队 -由Maria Denegri和Tom Bessai这对工作和生活伴侣创立，已发展成为加拿大最具创新力的建筑设计事务所之一，以其平衡学术严谨性与以家庭为中心的设计解决方案而闻名。这家总部位于多伦多的工作室采用独特的双领导方式，Maria Denegri的强大协调能力和务实的项目管理与Tom Bessai在计算设计、原型制作和制造方面的专业知识相辅相成。

该事务所擅长创造既富冒险精神又宜居的住宅环境，特别关注满足城市家庭不断变化的需求。他们的设计理念以深入客户参与为基础，打造既真正个性化又注重预算约束的空间。当前，公司由创始人领导，团队成员还包括Michal Bartosik、Alexia Hovis和Cameron Manore，他们为事务所的协作方法带来了额外的专业知识。

两位创始人都与学术界保持着紧密联系，在多伦多大学约翰·H·丹尼尔斯建筑、景观和设计学院担任讲师，将前沿研究和教学见解注入他们的实践中。Maria是多伦多建筑师协会的前任主席，积极参与其执行委员会工作。而Tom则领导工作室的原型设计、制造和计算部门，以无限能量和好奇心探索每个项目的创新可能。

Denegri Bessai Studio的作品集展现了他们将创新建筑技术与精心设计的空间布局无缝集成的能力，创造出融合技术复杂性与日常生活乐趣和惊喜的建筑作品。

Project Name: North York Ravine House

Location: Toronto, Canada

Design Team: Denegri Bessai Studio

Total Floor Area: 7080 ft²

Completion: 2024

Photography: Scott Norsworthy

Feature:

Project - Denegri Bessai Studio has completed their remarkable renovation project - North York Ravine House on the edge of a ravine in Toronto's North York neighborhood, transforming a mid-century modern bungalow into a light-filled contemporary home for a young family with three children. This 7080-square-foot structure masterfully balances the preservation of modernist character with the fulfillment of contemporary family needs.

The project's most distinctive feature is its innovative treatment of the main floor, where the architects replaced a series of small compartmentalized rooms with an expansive, airy living area spanning nearly the entire length of the house. This bold intervention is complemented by a floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall at the rear, creating an almost seamless connection between interior spaces and the natural landscape. These architectural elements interact with the newly vaulted Douglas Fir ceiling to create rhythmic spatial experiences, adding dimensionality and warmth to the environment.

The spatial composition demonstrates a profound understanding of harmony, achieving balance between preserving modernist spirit and enhancing functionality. The central structural pier, thoughtfully clad with handmade TATA tiles from Mexico City - a nod to the client's heritage - becomes an artistic focal point. The team's careful consideration of family experience is reflected in the second-floor addition, whose bridge-like footprint creates valuable space without compromising the building's modernist form.

The project's uniqueness lies in its successful integration of respectful preservation and innovative design. The "peek-a-boo" lookout serves both children's playful needs and creates space for family interaction, while the unified natural materials create a perfect canvas for the ongoing dialogue between light, shadow, and architectural form. This project represents a significant achievement in residential renovation, transforming architecture into a medium that both respects history and faces toward the future.

This is not merely a residential renovation but a vivid lesson in how thoughtful design can transform outdated spaces into meaningful environments that nurture modern families, setting new standards for residential design in Canada's rapidly evolving urban landscape.

Design Team - Founded by partners in both work and life, Maria Denegri and Tom Bessai, Denegri Bessai Studio has established itself as one of Canada's most innovative architectural practices, renowned for balancing academic rigor with family-centered design solutions. This Toronto-based firm employs a unique dual leadership approach where Maria Denegri's strong coordination skills and pragmatic project management complement Tom Bessai's expertise in computational design, prototyping, and fabrication.

The studio excels in creating residential environments that are simultaneously adventurous and livable, with a particular focus on meeting the evolving needs of urban families. Their design philosophy hinges on deep client engagement, producing spaces that are truly personal while remaining sensitive to budget constraints. Currently, the firm is led by its founding principals along with team members Michal Bartosik, Alexia Hovis, and Cameron Manore, who bring additional expertise to their collaborative approach.

Both principals maintain strong academic connections as lecturers at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. Maria is a Past Chair of the Toronto Society of Architects and an active member of its Executive, while Tom leads the studio's prototyping, fabrication, and computation division, approaching each project with boundless energy and curiosity to explore innovative possibilities.

Denegri Bessai Studio's portfolio demonstrates their ability to seamlessly integrate innovative construction technologies with thoughtful spatial arrangements—creating architecture that combines technical sophistication with the joy and wonder of everyday living.