Mulmur Hills Farm

Relying on a palette of locally sourced woods, concrete, stone walls, and blackened metal accents, Mulmur Hills Farm is both refined and rustic, simple and open. It honors both the rolling woodlands and agricultural heritage of its rural Ontario site, while facilitating the family’s modern lifestyle.



Out of the owners’ long-standing respect and love for the nineteenth-century farm and buildings gracing its 100-acre site, this home carefully settles just beyond the view from the gravel road at the edge of a nearby forest. Perched on a low hill and overlooking the existing barn, rolling fields, a pond, and the woodlands of the Mulmur Hills beyond, the home rises gently from a stand of white pine, establishing the edge between forest and pastureland.



A low-set wall of stacked local granite organizes the home and hints at the traditional field stone walls that form the old boundaries of the site. Beyond this wall, the rooms of the home open graciously out to both views and fields, beneath an expanse of laminated Douglas fir beams and western red cedar soffiting, welcoming the free flow of breezes and the movement of family, friends, and dogs alike.



The home was conceived as both a frequent escape from the nearby city of Toronto and as a part-time residence for several generations of a large and growing family. Intended for fireside intimacy and a chance to reconnect with nature, share holiday gatherings around the large kitchen island, and enjoy the peace afforded by yoga and painting in the cantilevered studio, the home was designed to be warm, receptive, and durable.



For reasons of sustainability and to reduce on-site noise and vehicle trips, the structure and shell of both garage and home were prefabricated outside the client’s native Quebec City. These panelized components are made of domestic engineered wood products, resulting in a straighter, tighter building. Outside, the blackened cladding of the home is of thermally modified ash, intended to contribute to the durability and beauty of the home.