Omar Gandhi | Canadian Architect's Wooden Warm Residence+Office

Located in the vibrant, historic north end of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the OG House sits on a narrow, derelict piece of land. OG House was designed to be the primary residence for Omar Gandhi, his partner and his son, located above what would later become the building studio's East Coast Main Camp. However, the studio grows to a level that can no longer accommodate a moderate amount of space. The first-floor office is now a dedicated community studio focused on community projects, including housing and safe public amenities for the homeless.

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A large, original, steel, pill-shaped closet both marks the entrance and provides privacy to the studio space. At the top of the first flight of stairs is a brick, wood-paneled restroom with a 9-foot-tall steel pivot door. A custom sink carved out of white oak blocks hangs on the wall. The second floor is completely covered with white oak paneling and offers kitchen, restaurant and living room space. Carved at the end of the volume is a two-storey high light well that reaches the entire height of the house. Lighting studies and parametric modeling are used to form the shape of the light well to ensure optimal natural lighting conditions for the entire living space.

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The third floor has two bedrooms and two contrasting monochrome bathrooms, each with full-length skylights, showing off the extreme weather conditions and spectacular skies of the coastal city. The final staircase is the roof space, which includes a small seating area and the garden on the side of the house street. Wood-lined stairwells and handrails feature organic, custom-designed bronze brackets that emerge from the seams of white oak paneling.

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