Exterior Facade - Additional renderings

I will update this post as new additional renderings of the exterior facade are created.

2. Southwest Corner (Conservatory)

Here's another rendering of the southwest corner of the mega-mansion.  In the centre is the conservatory, which is flanked by the central and west wings of the mansion.  It gives an impression of the scale, with the width of the central wing approximately equal to that of each of the two wings (east and west).  This would be the view as one approaches the west entrance of the mansion, en route to the grand ballroom.

West Facade - Initial Rendering

Continuing with the exterior of the ground and second floor I have created an initial rendering of the West Facade.

 

(Click image above for larger view)

I have done some shuffling, and have essentially created a mirror image of my original plans.  As such, the ground floor of the west wing now houses the business suite (oval office with private bathroom, reception hall, conference centre, executive guest suite), portrait hall, as well as the modified two storey ballroom and two storey conservatory (as requested by readers of the blog).  I really enjoy incorporating readers' suggestions into the project, which is why feedback is always appreciated!

The second floor of the west wing features the master suite, which has master sitting room, private kitchen, bedroom, separate his and her closets, dressing rooms, and ensuites bathrooms.  To finish off the "upper" west wing, There is a viewing gallery (with a private terrace) that overlooks the ballroom.

The west wing also houses a staircase and service elevator, which services all floors of the mansion.  There is also a secret passageway which traverses the master bedroom and oval office (bathroom) leading to a panic room and escape tunnel in the basement.

I have continued the limestone cladding on the exterior facade.  The "oval office" inspiration is carried through to the exterior, with the west facade of this mega mansion resembling the south facade of the white house.  The two storey columns allow for private terraces off of both the oval office and the master bedroom suite above.

The west entrance leads to the portrait hall which serves as a place to welcome guests and provides direct access to the ballroom and conservatory. Vehicles will be able to pull up to west entrance, which could be adorned with a red carpet for the most "distinguished" of parties.  

Again, this is the initial rendering, and much work is left to be done with the mill work and of course the roof and basement elevation.  I just wanted to again share with you the mansion's progress!

Thanks to those of you who have been following the mansion project.  It gives me inspiration to keep creating!  As always, your comments are always welcomed!

Front Facade - Initial Rendering

Just wanted to update you about continued progress on the mega-mansion. 

Currently, the ground and second floor designs have been completed.  I am overall very happy with the layout and the use of space. For a change of gears, I have decided to start working on the exterior design elements, and have just completed the front facade. 

I want the entire feel of the home to be of "old world" character, and, as such, you won't find any modern elements on the exterior facade.  I love French Second Empire (Napoleon III style) architecture, and think this mansion is worthy of that styling.  As I may have mentioned before I love symmetry, and the home is largely symmetrical with the exception of minor deviations in the East and West wings. 
 

(Please click the image for a larger view)

The exterior is sheathed with limestone.  The front entry is flanked by twenty-four foot (24') high columns, which provide a grand first impression.  A large window sits atop the front entry which is capped with a rounded lintel.  The lintels are repeated on some of the second story windows.  The heavy balustrades provide a sense of strength to the overall exterior appearance.  Fluted pilasters finish off exterior corners, adding a delicate touch.  The roof is yet to be completed, but will feature a Mansard roof.

Your comments would be most appreciated!

(The image was created using Chief Architect, amazing software with virtually unlimited possibilities!  I would love to try out the new software, Chief Architect X3)

First "Mansion Project" Video

A picture is worth a thousand words so a video must at least be worth a few million.  Presenting the first promotional video for the Mansion Project, featuring the Grand Staircase and the Formal Library.  The rooms are incomplete to date, more to come in the near future.

I think the video does a good job conveying spatial relationships which aren't always obvious in pictures alone.

As always, your comments are welcome!

-Jonathan

The Formal Library - Initial Sketches

Across from the central staircase sits the enormous two story library, accessed from the grand staircase by three arched entryways.  It measures approximately twenty-eight-feet (28') by twenty-six-feet (26').  The focal point of the room is the huge fireplace, which is six-feet high.  Above the fireplace sits a mirror which reflects a view of the grand staircase.  The mirror is flanked by round columns, and capped with an arched lintel.  I have added a side chair in the sketch to demonstrate the scale of the space.

The room is surrounded by bookcases on both floors, with ample storage for a huge collection of books.  A balcony wraps around the second floor of the room, and will be accessible from the first floor of the library via a spiral staircase.  

There are many details left to add, so stay tuned for further sketches and renderings.

The Mansion's Grand Stair Hall

Arguably one of the most important impressions that a mansion can make is with what lies immediately beyond the front door.

I have been working on the preliminary design for the grand stair hall, which is central to the house and the first room that guests will encounter after entering through the massive front doors.  Its overall dimensions are thirty-five-feet (35') by twenty-eight-feet (28'), including the stair space.

To explain the preliminary sketch, the view of the grand stair hall is taken from the formal library, which is immediately adjacent (The camera is positioned at the entrance to the formal library, which is accessible from the stair hall by three large archways). Hard to describe in words so I have included the floor plan. The large doorway to the right (flanked with fluted pilasters) leads to the front vestibule with attached powder room and cloak room.  The doorway to the left (also with its fluted pilasters) leads to the central gallery which overlooks the massive two story great room.  

I have kept the theme very traditional.  Upon entering the room, attention is immediately drawn to the large staircase (which is six-feet wide its entire length, and fans out to approximately ten-feet at its base).  The central staircase extends upward to a landing, with matching curved extensions rising fully to the second floor.  Large two-story columns extend the line of sight upwards (and measure a massive three-feet at their base).  The concavity of the upper portion of the stairs (and the wall behind) is mirrored by the convexity of the landing above.  Underneath each balcony behind the doors is additional storage space (alternatively leading to a passage to access the floor below).  The entire staircase is mirrored again by a balcony on the opposite side of the room.

The room is not complete but I wanted to share the preliminary sketch with you.  In the future, the room will be topped by a third floor dome.

The inspiration for the grand stair hall?  Buckingham Palace and Carlton House (see the pictures below).  I particularly like the "sideways" configuration of the staircase in both of these residences.

Bridle Path, Toronto, Canada - Part 2

There were just so many amazing homes, but in 35 degree (Celsius) weather (and HUMID!), it was too hot to walk around and see them all.  Actually I have a pretty funny story about the experience, which I will post at the end of this entry, for those of you who just want me to cut to the chase and show pictures of more Bridle Path mansions.

#5: 10 High Point Road

This is by far one of my favorite homes.  It was created by Katherine Newman design (http://katherinenewmandesign.com/) and is absolutely stunning. 

I particularly love the mix of old and new.  I would love to sit down and chat with this woman!

A bit about the owner: Alex and Simona Shnaider, from Russia, bought number 10 for $4.3 mil­lion in 2006 and hired Katherine Newman to make something respectable out of it. Alex, Toronto’s youngest self-made billionaire, made his fortune in Russian steel and provided Donald Trump with the Bay and Adelaide land for a condo-hotel.

#6: 11 High Point Road

A classical architectural beauty.  I love the symmetry and scale of the portico (which I think is perfect).  The central statue is a beautiful touch.

Based on the plaque on the front gate, it appears to have been constructed in 1991.

#7: 32 High Point Road

This is a Paul Miklas, 18,000 square foot home that was on the market in 2008 for $15,000,000 (CAN).

Miklas is DEFINITELY a man I would like to meet.  A little about him:

As a child, Paul Miklas would sit in the back seat of his father's car, driving by the mansions of Toronto's Bridle Path neighbourhood, wondering what it was like to live behind the delicately curled iron gates.

"All you could do was imagine, man, it would be great to live there," Miklas says.

Miklas is a developer to the ultra-rich – those with the kind of wealth that's "off the charts and wasn't there 10 years ago..."

- Toronto Star, January 2, 2008

#8: 63 Park Lane Circle

A Gothic-inspired castle in the Bridle Path.  I particularly like the "Beware of Dog" signs on the front gate.  Trust me, I had no intention of climbing over it!

#9: 70 Park Lane Circle

I must say I felt as though I was committing a crime just standing on the road in front of this house!  The "warning signs" are extensive, and the view of the home is largely obstructed by trees.  It sure seems massive, as seen from google maps.

The statue is Poseidon, God of the Sea. 

Now for the funny story..."Journey to the Bridle Path"

Toronto is like a second home to me, with most of my family living there.  Thinking I knew the city pretty well, I decided to embark on a journey to visit some of the largest homes in the country.  I "google mapped" my journey before I left for the day, and took the TCC (subway) to the Lawrence station.  According to Google maps I had a 42 minute walk ahead of me.  Piece of cake!  Except, it happened to be mid-30's (Celsius) and it felt like 100 percent humidity.  To say I wasn't prepared for the heat was an understatement, having brought no water along for the walk.  Half way along the heat was starting to get to me.  My red polo and grey khakis were starting to feel like they had just come out of the washing machine, having skipped the step involving the dryer. 

I decided to take a short cut through York University, as according to Google maps, it appeared it would shave some time off of my journey.  Walking through the university trails was a bit like a crazy maze, with hills and very steep rocky steps.  After several attempts to "get to the other side,"  I found myself at a fence with a "No trespassing beyond this point" sign.  So much for the short cut.  I ended up walking around the university until I finally found the start of Lawrence Avenue East.  By car I'm sure the next hill I had to face would have been a breeze, but walking it looked as though it would never end.  After what seemed like forever, and multiple sits on the guard rail I finally reached the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Park Lane Circle. 

By this point I was entirely disheveled, looking like someone who had been running in the woods from someone who was in pursuit of my life.  But alas, I arrived!

I was panting, my mouth was dry, and I was drenched!  I passed a few construction workers who looked at me as though I had 10 heads.  The first glimpses of the mansions made it definitely worth while, and I began making my way around the neighborhood.  The heat became so intense that I had to cross the streets frequently in attempt to walk in the shade of any tree I could find.  I felt as though I was literally cooking in my own skin.

I remember stopping at one of the homes, and seriously contemplating pushing the button of the intercom, pleading for a glass of water.  I figured I would say, "I mean you no harm.  I just need a glass of water, otherwise I think you may have a body to remove from the entrance of your driveway."  But, for fear of embarrassment I declined to do any such thing.

My trip through the path was cut short by sheer dehydration.  I decided I needed water!  Having walked for the last hour I realized travelling back westward would be pointless - I had not passed a single store along the way.  So I ventured further East. 

I finally found myself at the Toronto Botanical Gardens!  Civilization!  Immediately catching my eye, I saw a drinking fountain.  It was a bit like catching the glimpse of a mirage in the desert.  I ran with all my might to the fountain only to find it inoperable, leaving me even more drenched and dehydrated.  I seriously contemplated drinking from the river (yuck!) but luckily decided my potential negative health implications couldn't possibly be worth it. 

I kept travelling.  I found a small gift shop at the gardens, immediately ordered up 2 1L bottles of water, rushed outside, and began drinking faster than I ever had before.  I was halfway through the second bottle when I noticed an elderly Asian couple watching me, mouths gaping.  I realized what a strange sight I must have seemed. 

I immediately got off that shaded park bench, and started walking further east.  I saw a bus!  I ran but was too late.  I looked at the schedule, the next bus would be there in 30 min.  So I grabbed a shaded spot, sat on the grass, and finished off the second bottle of water. The bus finally came, #162 (I will never forget that heavenly number).  Air conditioning!!!

As the bus began travelling back toward Lawrence Station, my mouth dropped as I found myself travelling through the Bridle Path neighborhood, the place I spent the last several hours stumbling through with fear of death!

Next time, I know how I will be travelling!

Please check out my current progress on the mansion project