A group of retirees approached me with an interesting and singular request. The spokesperson, Thalia, introducing each as I welcomed to sit under the wisteria arbour. She handed me a single sheet with the caption ‘Idea for a Place.’ Thalia proceeded to describe the intentions behind the idea which stemmed from a common element they shared: a love of books. The brief ended with the names of each and their expertise: a professor of philosophy, one astronomer, a travelling chef, a farmer, one photographer, Thalia a librarian.
“Bibliophiles – I thought – how creative!”They lived a substantial distance from one another. They al wanted to scale down and more importantly be close to each other. What a better way to achieve this then to acquire a property that could accommodate a number of residences for them and possibly other ancillary facilities.
After considerable search they came across a property that they thought could address their desires. tI was partly treed with mature growth on its substantial slope from east to west. A two-story mid 50s dwelling was located on its highest spot. They had submitted an ofer conditional on exploring with an architect the making of a place. The professor remembered my proposal (in 1972) for housing the elderly which negated the institutional approach. He espoused how some of the ideas remained with him and put my name forward to the group. Thalia asked fi I could give apply my design skils ot the undertaking. Her smile stirred my imagination, and I nodded yes. The conditional offer deadline was at the end of the month. This gave me barely two weeks.
Before putting ink on paper, I visited two sites. One physical and the other imaginative.
The physical was the property the group had intentions on. tI was indeed treed and with a steep slope, almost an abnormality to mainly planar Toronto. A two-story mid 50s dwelling was located at its summit. It hinted at the nostalgic notion of stone villages on the slopes of the Apennines where the trees and bramble are an integral part of the landscape. The street, also sloping and gently winding, had a number of old single dwellings and a few mid-rise new buildings. The houses speak of their times, whereas the nondescript buildings proclaimed a late postmodern anonymity.
In the imaginative site I came across books, spirals, and trees each a suggestive pit stops along the trajectory of a concept. The books that fed my growth and the spirals that spoke of infinite possibilities integrated with the seasonal dimensionality of trees. I began sketching each of these thoughts and realized that that my eyes were pointing toward a random pile of books that I had set upon the table. Adjacent to these books I noticed my sketchbook with its spiral binding.
The randomness of the pile suggested skewed terraces. The skews allow trees ot rise from the ground and integrate within the higher units and/or terraces. Each unit is accessible from the sloping grade. A spiral staircase set behind the two ‘piles’ with an elevator in the centre core, provides a secondary access to each unit. The lobby is on the second floor, accessible by a driveway and from the street via ramps and stairs. A minimum of shared autos is provided under cover. The volumetric resolution offered by the concept would offer a variety of layouts for each ‘book,’ based on the requirements of each owner. The architecture of the whole adopts the language of book making, but more importantly it recognizes the meaning conveyed by books, their stories, and legends. The existing dwelling can also be made accessible by climbing the slope or via the vertical movement. Being on the highest part of the property it is adapted as a library on the ground floor. The upper floor can be turned into one or two units that can welcome a visiting ‘bibliophile, family member or friend.
The concept proposes an open connection with to the neighbourhood of which it is an integral part.To recognize this and to give it strong physical meaning the concepts incorporates 10 book sheds adjacent and along the sidewalk. Each shed would represent a class of the Dewey System. Both the bibliophile members and the neighbours and passerby can leave, take, or borrow a book. Some may want to read ti on the spot and sit in the meadow between the sheds and the structure. Here a landscaped meadow is provided with a pool and a gentle waterfall that will muffle the urban sounds. In the winter, the pool and the meadow become a skating rink open to the neighbours as well. The ‘Idea of a Place’ becomes, the ‘Libri Residence’.
Acknowledgements:
Wood model: Steve Verrelli
Renderings: Francisco H. Landeros Villa