Snider House: Heritage Restored in a Contemporary Form

Originally conceived as a brick Regency-style cottage, Snider House has been recast as a contemporary residence by Giannone Petricone Associates. The intervention sensitively interprets the building’s heritage while providing all the functionality needed for modern family life.

Unifying a fragmented history

Designated in 1979 under the Ontario Heritage Act for its architectural and historical value, the house underwent nearly two centuries of transformations that gradually compromised its integrity, including additions, internal subdivisions for different occupants, and the loss of the original porch.

When the client, Jody Cash, a glass manufacturer by trade, commissioned the firm to restore the building’s domestic scale for his young family, the challenge was twofold: honor the site’s heritage while reimagining a residence that is genuinely contemporary.

The project unfolded with surgical precision, beginning with the removal of later accretions, structural consolidation, and the reconstruction or reinterpretation of the building’s original elements, including the masonry, roofing, the entry, and porches. At the same time, the building envelope underwent a comprehensive performance upgrade with the addition of high-efficiency glazing alongside integrated insulation and ventilation systems.

With none of the original interior elements salvageable, the architects opted to reinterpret the formal plan while maintaining its inherent clarity. The role of the central corridor as the organizing axis has been restored, now flanked by the living room – complete with a restored wood-burning fireplace – and a spacious dining room created by consolidating formerly fragmented spaces.

Glass as a signature material

Moving toward the rear expansion and garden, the masonry’s solidity yields to a light, fluid “veil.” Glass – the client’s own medium – serves a conceptual rather than purely structural role, forming an undulating façade that blurs the building’s perimeter and draws the newly landscaped garden deep into the interior.

On the first floor, the original rooms are finished in white, reinforcing their archetypal character. By contrast, the new wing features earthy tones to establish a material continuity with the garden. Pebble-gray marble, back-painted glass, and walnut cabinetry define the kitchen, while the family room features deep blue felt and leather wall coverings.

A central element of the design is the staircase, which links the basement to the third floor through a dynamic sequence of powder-coated uprights inclined at seven degrees. At key touchpoints, these uprights are wrapped in leather, bringing a tactile dimension to the daily act of moving between floors.

Mirroring the symmetry of the first floor, the front bedrooms on the upper level preserve the original floor plan’s orderly layout. In contrast, the primary suite, located within the new addition, unfolds as a sweeping ribbon that balances transparency and privacy. Mosaic and stone floor inlays lead to the bathroom, where the tub and shower are enclosed within undulating walls, creating the sensation of being suspended among the treetops.

In the garden, a terrace and elevated pool align with the first-floor elevation, while the dining and lounge areas are carved into the lower levels. This approach minimizes disruptive site work while amplifying the sense of space within a compact lot, turning site constraints into design opportunities.

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