294 Ryding Avenue Residence | Toronto, ON

When Chris and Susan Meiorin sold their home in a Toronto suburb to move to the city’s Junction neighborhood, they knew it was time to connect with Toronto architect Bradley Netkin of STAMP architecture, who accomplished great results a few years earlier designing the Meiorins’ lake home more than 100 miles to the north.

The couple purchased a 1940s-era Toronto home in 2015 and razed it giving Netkin a blank canvas to work with – albeit one of limited size. The 27-foot wide lot is substantially smaller than the suburban lot the couple was moving away from and smaller than a majority of lots in the city as well. Netkin embraced the challenge to design a home that accommodates the Meiorins’ needs while incorporating the same creativity that got their lake home featured on Canadian TV.

Completed in summer 2016, the 2½-story home with a full, walkout basement is a lean 27-feet wide and 120-feet deep. Netkin says his design suits the “gritty” aura of the redeveloping neighborhood while providing a distinctive blend of privacy on the first floor, three comfortable bedrooms on the second floor (each with its own in suite bathroom) and a more open indoor/outdoor living space on the home’s top-floor recreation area.

In many respects, the Meiorins did not mess with what was working the first time. They wanted to have the same RAUPANEL™ in-floor radiant heating system and RAUPEX UV shield plumbing pipe that has proven so reliable in their lake home. Like their lake home, the Meiorins’ Toronto home features REHAU windows and doors, a product line they know well since Chris owns Euro Vinyl Windows and Doors Inc., which has been manufacturing REHAU windows for 30 years.

“What I like about the radiant heat is if there is an area of the house we’re not using, we can turn those zones off,” says Susan. “Our two daughters are away at university, so this is a way to heat the home much more economically.” RAUPANEL is a low-profile, in-floor system that comprises aluminum panels, wood return bends, plywood spacers and 3/8-inch RAUPEX O₂ Barrier crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe.

“It goes in like a jigsaw puzzle,” explains Angelo Verardi, owner of AV Mechanical, which installed the plumbing, radiant heat and other mechanical components at the Toronto home. “Insulation and the distribution of heat are fantastic, and the workmanship and quality are great.”

Support from REHAU representatives on-site during construction was immensely helpful, Verardi adds. “We were in contact with REHAU throughout the project. It was a great experience. If there was ever a part we were short on or missing, they were there to get it to us fast.”