Based in Toronto, Paul Raff Studio is an award-winning architecht firm responsible for the brilliant design of the Cascade House. Equipped with solar-design systmes, the Cascade House, situated in Toronto’s Forest Hill, presents itself as a sculpture of stacked boxes composed from shards of glass and muted black slate. The house was designed in response to the clients’ love of modern art and their desire for natural light. The two-and-a-half storey house is configured in an “L” shape around an outdoor swimming pool. The design of the Cascade House is extremely intelligent. The sun naturally heats the house in the winter through expansive south-facing windows, and its energy is captured in the massive stone wall which keeps the house warm at night. Automated shades and passive ventilation keep the house cool in the summer months. Take a look at some of the Cascade’s brilliant features:

1. The stone wall absorbs the winter sun and acts as a thermal heat sink to keep the house warm at night.
2. Triple-layer argon-filled high performance glazing.
3. High performance building envelope, including structurally insulated panel system (R36, roof R44).
4. Designed and wired for future hydronic solar panels to heat the pool and the house.
5. Ultra-high efficiency boiler and radiant in-floor heating.
6. Designed and wired for future roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels that generate electricity.
7. Height of space allows for passive cooling in summer.
8. Automated shading to reduce summer heat gain.
9. Non-toxic, renewable materials such as bamboo and wheatboard millwork, as well as low V.O.C. paint throughout.
10. Storm water managed on site with soak pits.
11. Existing vegetation and mature trees maintained.

Via +mood.