LG House by thirdstone inc. [^] Part 3

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011 | 13 Comments



In the final segment of our three-part series on the LG House by Louis Pereira of thirdstone inc. [^], John and Matthew showcase the innovative design of the home’s upper floor.





LG House by thirdstone inc. [^] Part 1


LG House by thirdstone inc. [^] Part 2
















Today’s Slides:

  • Mikefilcor

    Interesting choice of flooring material thru-out.
    Looks like high gloss tile. Can you please elaborate on your decision to choose tile.

    Most often when I see tile it is because there is in floor heating, but earlier you mentioned the house is using forced air heating.

    thnx
    Mike

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Hi Mike – We used a floating floor system. In fact it’s IKEA’s Markland flooring in the ‘anthricite’ colour which has since been discontinued.  It was a very economical solution, very resilient and easy to maintain.  It was likely the last big order of this flooring colour which we had to order from Calgary.

  • Anonymous

    Louis, John and Matthew
    Thank you for sharing this outstanding home. So many well thought out details. The kids bedroom….love it and the courtyard….great space. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2012 guys.
    Paul C

  • Terri

    Thanks for posting the second floor plans, John and Matthew and Louis. Such an efficient use of space!  Is the room over the garage a hobby/family room?

    Best wishes to Slow Home in 2012! Looking forward to that Design Studio segment…

  • Steve in Van

    Thanks, J&M, for highlighting this house, and thanks, Louis, for your generosity.  Really thoughtful design and workmanship.  Love the livingroom millwork.  Well done!

    I was excited about the polished concrete-look flooring, too — sad to hear it’s discontinued, but it confirms that there are attractive (and economical) alternatives.

    And if I could also mention the great looking baseboards.  Construction details?  :)

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Steve (in Van) and Li-Na,
     
    Sorry for the late followup to your question concerning the baseboard detail.
     
    As mentioned in the Part 1 comments section, the base condition and the window sill in this case is a slightly recessed cove.  We established a datum at the base of every window so that the cove runs continuously (at the same height) under the walls.  The attached graphic illustrates how we detailed the sill.  This same condition would also apply at the base of the drywall.  The bottom close-up image at the top of the stairs shows this best.
     
    Hope this helps! 

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Hi Terri – Connecting the Living Space over the Garage offered primary and practical amenities within the link (Laundry) and multiple functions above the Garage.

    Adaptability was a key component to the proposal and crucial to the success of the design.  The approach offered flexibility as family needs change and allows for space do be re-arranged without expensive retrofits and renovations. 

    This means a long term commitment, to the neighbourhood and lasting investment in a single dwelling that will be appreciated for a lifetime and more.

    Check out all the possibilities these spaces presented us during the design development phase…

  • Terri

    Hi Louis, Thanks for posting all those optional plans for the above-garage space. I wondered if you chose to not use windows towards the courtyard in the hall leading to this space because of the laundry sharing the hall. I love halls with glazing on one wall, and this home offers that possibility.

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Hi Terri – I agree with your point about adding windows along hallways. There was initially some consideration to add more windows facing the courtyard. One thought included access to a clothes-line to dry laundry naturally.  There was some concern over how much height gain there would be since it is south facing so we wanted to limit the extent of glass here. The amount of natural light within this room however is incredible.  The one (floor-to-ceiling) window along the south wall coupled with the 7′ long clerestory window along the north wall over the W/D fills this room with plenty of natural light.

    I don’t have an existing photo of the Laundry space unfortunately, but this exterior rendering illustrates how this space worked with the exterior design…

  • Li-Na

    Hi Louis,

    Apologies for taking awhile to reply but thank you for the illustration of your baseboard detail!

    Did you build out the wall (minus the recessed cove area) in roughly the same way John and Matthew have described (e.g. in “How to detail tile around a Roman tub”?). I don’t think this is covered in the graphic but I might have missed it…

    Aside from the aesthetics, are there any positive outcomes of having this baseboard design? (I’m secretly hoping you will say it is much easier to clean, haha!).

    Li-Na

    P/S I found the design options you shared for the 2nd floor interesting as I had been wondering how the space would grow with the family. :)

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Hi Li-Na – In response to your question, there was no need to build-out the walls.  The baseboard in this case was slightly thinner than the drywall so that’s what created the recessed appearance.

    With regards to cleaning, it is rather easy.  However, you must consider or adjust your cleaning methods accordingly. For example this particular floor requires either a vacuum with a soft brush which allows you to glide along the base of the wall without damaging the drywall.  The other method is simply sweeping with a wide headband dust mop and then followup with a wet ‘swiffer’.

    With standard 1/2″ thick baseboard detail tacked on the drywall, dust tends to collect on the top anyway so in the end, i think the recessed cove is a better solution from a cleaning perspective.

    Finally, a detail like this, as small as it may seem, can make a huge difference to the overall look of a room. Reducing trimwork or ‘de-clunking’, a term Matthew used recently, can best reveal a room’s spatial quality.

  • Li-Na

    Huh, you should have seen the lightbulb go off over my head after I read your reply, Louis! How much does the drywall overhang the baseboards by?

    As you might have guessed, I am a tad fixated on this as I am not a fan of the usual baseboards or moulding!

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    Actually, it’s recessed only about a 1/4″.  If you look at the close-up image in an earlier post, you can see the difference against the drywall at the top of the stairs.  You can also see this in the section detail.