If you had the opportunity to design and build the custom home of your dreams, what would it look like? How would it function—and how would it enable you to live life to the fullest? It’s a question that David Small had pondered throughout his career. He had built homes for himself and his family, but not a last home. Brimming with ideas about what that structure could accomplish, he set out to create a place that would draw on the entirety of his architectural design experience, where aspiration and innovation would come together in an ideal setting catered to his family’s lifestyle needs.

His desire was to create something entirely unique and special, but also warm and inviting. While he didn’t intend to build an architectural calling card for his fast-growing practice, it would become that and more—a love letter to his architectural influences and his family upbringing; a definitive composition in his signature Natural Modern style. This project would be untethered from market pressures or the kind of stylistic considerations that would inform the design of a home made to be sold. This was a home that would be well-used. It would serve as a space to create a lifetime of memories.

He would comb several neighbourhoods searching for the perfect location to build. There were many options, expansive lots that were spacious and appealing, but none that satisfied his vision. Finally, he found a parcel of land just a few streets away from the glass-wrapped dwelling that he had previously designed, the eponymous David’s House. The wooded lot offered a dramatic entry point that would help shelter the new dwelling from the street. The natural canopy enveloped the property in a sense of calm. It was the perfect place to form a connection between this custom home and the surrounding environment.

It would also serve as the ultimate expression of David’s vision to erase the lines between inside and out. The Last House, as it would be named, would reference modern architecture’s embrace of material rawness with extensive use of bare concrete, glass and steel—and exposure of the building’s structural framework—then juxtapose it against a palette of natural wood and stone. With cleverly-deployed geometric massing and material balance, visitors would immediately be struck by its sense of comfort and the harmonious interplay of opposing architectural elements.

Realizing an architectural design vision

In crafting The Last House, David and his family discussed their ambitions and carefully reviewed how they lived on a daily basis. How could their dream home work to suit their needs? The design criteria were developed from their routines and detailed feature wish list. It was a process familiar to our founder and our team.

The ideation and design methodology behind The Last House was the same one that we apply when working with our custom home clients. Our mission is to learn how they live, what they aspire to achieve and now their new home can forward those lifestyle goals. The philosophy is simple: a true custom home should complement our clients’ lives, rather than proscribing functionality and flow based on a rigid set of architectural principles.

In this case, the brief called for a feeling of movement and transparency. A range of intricate details—too expansive to cover in their entirety here—gave a nod to various aspects of the Small family’s personal history: the signature porthole tangerine door, a nod to the mid-century modern homes of their childhood; a living wall in the entry foyer referencing David’s passion for building connections between architecture and nature. A dedicated nook housing an heirloom piano that calls out the generations of family members that once played it.

David was on-site with his construction team every day during the build phase. He would make continual adjustments to his design and navigate technical challenges that came to light. A monumental structural concrete feature wall, for example, would require additional bracing and support. But as a labour of love, the opportunities inherent in The Last Home propelled David to constantly seek out ideal design solutions. It’s an attitude—the pursuit of perfection—that permeates our entire client experience and has become a firm-wide hallmark.

A Natural Modern masterpiece

Detailed landscaping and carefully-planned sightlines enhance the home’s connection to nature, but it’s the extensive use of glass that brings outside directly into virtually every room in the house. The master suite, for example, has a treehouse feel as the room is hugged by backyard foliage. The family space that houses the living and dining room is entirely transparent, offering views of the property on two sides.  It was there that David’s Natural Modern ethos was brought to life in a single moment.

Throughout the project, the windows in ‘The Bridge,’ as he dubbed the space, had been covered in builder’s plastic to shield the glass from construction-related damage. A degree of light was able to pry through the sheeting, but the windows were kept translucent. As the end of the construction phase arrived, David walked through the room and began peeling back that plastic. Sheet after sheet slipped off the window panels. He was left speechless as the outside seemed to pour in. Light filled the bridge and the landscape of the property became immediately connected to the interior. It was exactly as he’d envisioned. The Last House, his family’s forever home, was finished.

Upon reflection, David has come to see the home as his greatest professional achievement. That it delivers immense personal happiness while making a powerful architectural statement is a testament to his dedication to the project, along with the potential that emerges when designing a fully customized residence.

Every home in our portfolio is influenced by the expertise needed to craft The Last House—yet there will never be another home exactly like it.

The David Small Design Team

Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process.

In developing the Natural Modern design ethos early in our firm’s history, we focused on the seamless integration of custom home architecture with the surrounding landscape. The goal was to create a school that was as distinctive as it was unmistakable. We’ve since employed it across a wide range of urban locales, but it was when we introduced Natural Modern to an alpine setting that it took on an entirely new life. In that context, we began referring to our design approach as Mountain Modern. It’s one that has garnered the attention of home owners from across North America for its uncompromising commitment to architectural truth. It embodies a spirit that combines family-friendly features while accommodating a multitude of diverse lifestyle needs.

Perhaps it goes without saying that situating a custom home amid towering mountains sets the stage for architectural design success. Rugged cliff sides, seemingly endless sunsets and awe-inspiring vistas offer the ultimate natural canvas to create a truly unique home.

But capitalizing on those opportunities requires a deft architectural hand. It’s not uncommon for aggressively-designed homes to dominate their mountain setting, drawing attention to hulking forms and ill-conceived material selections rather than carefully integrating the home into the neighbouring landscape. Mountain modern is a design language all its own, one that’s voiced softly—listening and respecting rather than attempting to obnoxiously overpower.

An enduring presence aligned with nature

So, what defines Mountain Modern? The style relies heavily on natural materials—think exterior use of stone and timber—textured treatments and robust structuring. But it also welcomes the use of industrial-inspired materials such as exposed steel columns. It nods to traditional European alpine architecture with sharp roof peaks and ample use of exterior glazing, but references the topography that frames it with an embrace of chiselled angularity and a distinctive boldness.

It conveys a sense of durability and resilience. This is a reflection of the enduring nature of alpine environments themselves. They are a steadfast presence, staking claim to their space for millennia. While we would never be so presumptuous to assume that one of our homes would enjoy that sort of epoch-spanning longevity, our structures are designed for multiple generations of families to enjoy and build lasting memories.

A Mountain Modern home also makes extensive use of earthen tones and a neutral colour palette that forms a natural bond with the rocky or coniferous-covered terrain that surround it. It is striking, yet blends in seamlessly. The mountain speaks, while the home sits patiently listening.

Perhaps most importantly, it works with the property on which it sits, leveraging slope and immovable natural features such as rock outcroppings or boulders as design features. It seeks to create a boundary-less connection between indoors and out.

Our signature use of covered terraces, outdoor living areas and floor-to-ceiling designs, flooding indoor spaces with natural light from soaring windows, create a feeling of warmth and comfort. Mountain Modern homes are positioned to maximize seasonal light exposure and to capture year-round alpine views.

A Colorado alpine escape

Informed by breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery, our current project in Evergreen Colorado—approximately 20 miles west of Denver—is likely the finest example of our Mountain Modern ethos put into practice.

When complete, the family home’s mono-slope roofline, floor-to-ceiling windows and accentuated deck overhangs will allow its owners to unwind and enjoy the space throughout the seasons. Maximizing the time for family connections and relaxation was a key focus in the design discovery process. We worked with the owners to understand their lifestyle requirements, how they planned to utilize this inspired structure, along with their long-term residential ambitions.

In the final design, every space was utilized to its full potential, with flat roofs on each storey unveiling multi-level decks that integrate exterior and interior spaces and help focus attention on the nearby peaks. The cascading effect of the home’s design is informed by nearby mountain streams and further underscores our goal of creating direction connections to the local environment.

Inside, nearly every principal living area is defined by towering glass panes that frame the Rocky Mountains in all of their idyllic splendour. The objective was for the residents to wake up each morning and look across the horizon as if they were staring into the pages of an alpine magazine, daydreaming about one day immersing themselves in the mountains’ dream-like magnificence.

Only in this case, that view is theirs to cherish for as long as they occupy their Colorado home.

Looking to create your own Mountain Modern masterpiece? Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process and our architectural design methodology.

The David Small Design Team

You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world.
But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

– Walt Disney

Last Friday evening, David’s House was presented with an Award of Merit at the 2013 Mississauga Urban Design Awards. A Mississauga native and the son of a past Mississauga Urban Design Award winner (nearly 30 years ago), David was truly honoured to accept this award.

As the longest running urban design awards in Ontario, we were thrilled to have our entire team present at Mississauga’s Council Chambers to see Mayor Hazel hand David the award and congratulate our team on a job well done.

Thank you to the City of Mississauga for continuing to recognize excellence and innovation in both public and private design. Thank you to the jury members for your time, discerning eyes, and feedback. Thank you and congratulations to the other winners and finalists; it’s your extraordinary design talent and continued submissions that keep these awards interesting, competitive, and highly esteemed. And a BIG thank you to all the people – our dedicated team at DSD, our loyal clients, our dependable partners – for your contributions in making David’s dream home a reality.

We were fortunate enough to have David’s parents, Bill & Betty Lou Small, join us at the awards on Friday evening. Bill Small, a mentor to David and a respected and accomplished man in the building industry, both on the local and national level, was the President of HUDAC in 1978 (now known as the Canadian Home Builders’ Association). In our search for information about his Urban Design Award, we came across this HUDAC newsletter published in 1978. Just one of Bill’s many contributions to the Canadian Home Building Industry.

The Urban Design Awards were held in Council Chambers at Mississauga’s City Hall

Three generations of the Small Family

‘Natural modern’ is a term we’ve coined to describe the unique architectural design of David’s House. To some, ‘natural modern’ is an oxymoron; a combination of contradictory terms. We saw it as the perfect descriptor for a design style that combines the aesthetic ideals of modern design with the warmth and elegance of a traditional home.

The ‘natural’ component of the style is two-part. Firstly, it’s the use of natural materials in the design; both on the exterior of the home, carried through to the interior. Natural stone, rich woods and copper add texture and definition to the façade. When used throughout the interior they create a seamless flow, blurring the lines between inside and outside. Secondly, ‘natural’ describes the way the design is integrated into the neighbourhood; the way it blends with its traditional surroundings and respects the community’s established character. It references the organic way the home is situated on the lot, mindful of the existing tree stand, designed to be “of the land” and not simply sitting on top of it.

The ‘modern’ aspect of ‘natural modern’ reflects the principles behind the design – clean lines, uncluttered space, visual clarity. It defines the simplicity of the design; flat or low sloping roof lines versus peaked rooflines with numerous gables, structural elements exposed rather than hidden behind ornate detailing, open floor plans as opposed to distinct room division.

Like any design style, ‘natural modern’ can be interpreted and applied in a variety of ways. Over the next several months we will be showcasing projects inspired by David’s House. Some of these projects are in the design phase, others in construction. All of the homes were influenced by ‘natural modern’ design, but like every custom home, the design style has been interpreted and applied in a way that reflects the lifestyle, inspirations and desires of the client.

In a neighbourhood where English Manor and Arts & Crafts reign, David’s House illustrates how natural materials, familiar massing and a thoughtful design process can integrate a modern home into a traditional neighbourhood.

This is David’s front foyer. The large expanses of glass, structural clarity of the staircase and industrial-inspired windows showcase the modern elements of the design.