Project: Syncline House
Architects: Omar Gandhi Architect
Location: Halifax, Canada
Photographs by: Ema Peter
The Syncline House is a new project by Omar Gandhi Architect. This modern house is located in Halifax, Canada, on the only syncline in the city.
The three story house consists of two volumes clad in white, connected by a double-height space in the middle.
This stunning residence provides beautiful views of the Point Pleasant Park as well as an overlook of the city’s Northwest Arm inlet. The interior is bright and spacious, featuring minimalist characteristics.
Syncline ˈ(\ˈsin-ˌklīn\): a fold in stratified rock with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. The home sits on the lone syncline that runs through peninsular Halifax.
Located in the south end of Halifax, Nova Scotia for California-based Geoff and his husband, Nova Scotia-based James – the quiet, masculine modern form sits adjacent to Point Pleasant Park and overlooks the North-West Arm from Francklyn Street.
Sitting atop a concrete base which seemingly extends the rocky foundation, the home is composed of twin volumes clad in a textured, white Fibre C – a German-made fibre cement panel composed of raw materials including glass fibre, sand, and cement. The volumes vary in proportion as well as location, with one lunging forward slightly ahead of the other. The taller volume houses the public program including the gym, living room and kitchen, while the lower features the home’s sleeping and office amenities. At the forefront of both are walk-out decks facing the western ocean view, one from the living room and the other from the master bedroom. Wood-decked patios overlooking the city’s primary forested park in one direction and the open ocean waters in the other sit high atop the two primary volumes.
A central core between the two is fully glazed in black-framed windows and topped with a razor thin canopy, encasing a porous, wood-lined steel staircase which winds its way up through the home. Flanking the taller volume is a tall, wood-clad structure which includes a residential scale elevator and back-of-house spaces including a high-end audio control room. The wood cladding is scorched, locally-sourced clear spruce with a clear coat finish. Wood scorching introduces flame to surface, intentionally charring it before it is brushed to remove any loose carbon, providing both decay and flame resistance through the process.
The interior material palette is composed wide white oak flooring, an all-white wall treatment and header-less doors which span from floor to ceiling. Natural light is drawn into the primary social spaces through the double height atrium and great room spaces.
The home utilizes geothermal heat pumps as the primary source for heating and cooling. Energy requirements are supplemented by a rooftop field of photovoltaic panels. The entirety of the glazing utilized for the home is triple pane for both energy conservation and acoustic requirements. Automated blinds and recessed windows on the south west façade help to passively cool the house.
–Omar Gandhi Architect
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