A unique Canadian home that has set the standard for combining striking, modernist features with classical European design.
Toronto, Canada, 2020-01-14 –
Villa Cortile is the product of an in-house collaboration between Audax’s Interior Design and Architecture teams, and exemplifies our holistic approach to design. The shared vision was masterfully executed and resulted in a stunning, Italian-inspired home in which modernism and traditionalism converge.
The home represented an exceptional project for Principal Architect, Gianpiero Pugliese, who was able to creatively apply Audax’s core philosophy of Human Architecture.
White-washed brick is balanced with elegant Hope Bay limestone to achieve a refined texture on the façade. The lower roofs are rendered in standing seam zinc, while the upper roofs are in slate.
The main entry is accessed through a gracious stone archway that serves as a recurrent design element throughout.
The living, dining and kitchen areas wrap around the courtyard, the design of which was inspired by the neighborhood courtyards commonplace in Italy. The open-concept living and dining areas peer into the courtyard and are flooded with natural light—an ideal, fluid space for entertaining or lounging.
The seamless relationship between indoor and outdoor living at Villa Cortile is highlighted by an additional ground floor kitchen, replete with panoramic folding doors that open up to the terrace, allowing for all season use.
The backyard hardscape centers on a grid design that harmoniously aligns with the exterior columns and doorways. The terrace features a swimming pool with an adjacent water-feature wall that highlights the Carol Feuerman sculpture. The poolhouse conceals a rear recreation area, containing an additional kitchenette, bathroom and changing areas.
The interior design concept for Villa Cortile was influenced by the famous Villa Necchi in central Milan, built in the 1930s for an aristocratic family, renowned for its avant-garde approach to the classic Italian Villa.
Villa Cortile’s reoccurring interior materials include white Appennino marble sourced from central Italy, chevron white oak flooring, walnut accents, white Caesarstone, and brushed brass finishes.
The ground floor features an open plan sitting area, a Vita Grey marble and brass clad fireplace, his-and-her kitchens stocked with state-of-the-art appliances and a formal dining room pavilion. The master kitchen and pantry contains the wet bar and ample storage, while the indoor/outdoor kitchen possesses a wood fired pizza oven, flat top grill and fry station.
The living area features low lying, contemporary furniture, brought together by the sectional sofa and the silver rug, both manufactured by Minotti.
The formal dining room includes custom millwork on the ceiling and smoked oak Bardolino flooring. Audax custom furniture is integrated throughout the home, such as the dining room table and Raphael chairs, the Evelyn chair in the guest suites upstairs and the Evelyn sofa in the master bath.
The striking, main stairwell is distinguished by a walnut handrail, wrought iron balusters, fluted plaster wall paneling, and Appennino marble-clad steps with brass accents.
The master suite contains an Arabescatto marble 3-piece bath and his-and-hers walk-in closets, as well as a sitting area and enclosed terrace.
A parking garage and temperature controlled wine cellar are housed in the lower level of the home.
The unparalleled attention to detail, quality of workmanship and enduring style of Villa Cortile is a product of and testament to the high caliber interior design produced at the Audax atelier.
For more images of the architecture and interior design from this stunning project, visit our website.
Photographers: Erik Rotter, Shai Gil
About Audax
Founded in 2007, Audax is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm with expertise in the luxury real estate market, and a strong focus on high-end residential design. Under the design leadership of Gianpiero Pugliese, Audax’s projects are diverse in design style. The firm’s work is motivated by Human Architecture, a design approach developed by the studio that combines the best elements of traditional architecture with a modern aesthetic.
By offering both architecture and interior design services, Audax provides a holistic approach to design that balances the technical, aesthetic, and functional objectives of a project. The results of this combined expertise are buildings and interior spaces with a clearly articulated design language and a seamless integration between its architecture, interior design and décor.
About Gianpiero Pugliese, Founding Principal, B.A., M.Arch., O.A.A.
Leading all architectural and interior design activities at Audax, Gianpiero has a Master of Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied design at the Venice Institute of Architecture in Italy. Prior to founding Audax, Gianpiero worked as a project architect responsible for the design of numerous large scale, mixed-use developments throughout North America.
His current work at Audax explores the relationship between traditional design principles and the modern aesthetic. This approach, which he coined as Human Architecture, aims to bring the tactile, relatable and human-scaled elements that were lost during the Modern period back into contemporary design. The results of using this approach are buildings and interior spaces that appeal to those who admire the warmth and detailing of traditional architecture but also appreciate modern design.
For more information
Media contact
- Audax
- Ava Downey, Marketing Co-ordinator
- [email protected]
- 4168628403 ex.326
Source: V2 Newswire
The front façade is made up of white-washed brick and Hope Bay limestone, with the lower roofs enclosed in standing seam zinc, and the upper roofs in slate. The front windows face into the dining room and living areas. The square driveway accommodates the entryway to the lower level parking garage.
Shai Gil
The front entryway features a tall archway with a Porta Romana chandelier as the centerpiece. The path following leads through the courtyard to arrive at the front door. The archway motif, used throughout the home, was inspired by the streets of urban Italy that feature unique entryways to courtyards and piazzas.
Shai Gil
The courtyard floor is comprised of limestone and pea gravel. The granite planter box contains an olive tree.
Shai Gil
The dining pavilion and front entryway to the courtyard.
Shai Gil
The backyard and terrace hardscape features geometric lines that align to the columns, doors and windows of the façade. The outdoor dining area and indoor/outdoor kitchen are housed beneath the master suite.
Shai Gil
The view from the back terrace, looking towards the pool and poolhouse. It contains an additional kitchenette, bathroom and changing area. The terrace is furnished with a Tribù lounge set.
Shai Gil
The pool and water feature align along the length of the backyard. A Carol Feuerman sculpture is highlighted by the reflective surfaces and cascading water wall behind it, reminiscent of Mies Van Der Rohe’s use of sculpture in the Barcelona Pavillion. Cypress trees are used throughout the landscaping inspired by the Tuscan countryside.
Shai Gil
The kitchen pictured here is all season, made possible by the panoramic folding glass doors. The kitchen itself features a wood fired pizza oven, stainless steel appliances and cabinetry, and a Bianco Carrera marble island. Also incorporated are Nero Assoluto marble accents on the counters and accent wall, a custom patterned privacy screen, and a generous outdoor/dining area.
Shai Gil
The Vita Grey clad fireplace, brass detailing, Appennino marble and chevron oak flooring, and linen texture laminate paneling. The window frames and accents are walnut.
Erik Rotter
The main living area of the home features a Vita Grey marble clad fireplace with brass accents along with linen texture laminate paneling that embellishes the adjoining atrium wall. All furniture and the area rug are Minotti. Behind the fireplace is the breakfast nook.
Erik Rotter
The dining room features custom millwork on the ceiling that compliments the handmade mosaic flooring in smoked oak. Assorted sizes of the Tom Dixon melt pendant lights serve as the focal point of the room. The dining table is burl walnut with a dark Laminam table top, paired with Raphael chairs in emerald green, both custom designed by the Audax furniture studio.
Erik Rotter
The main kitchen and entry to the pantry. The corner bar features waterfall counter tops of Silver White marble, brass and walnut cabinet finishes, and a set of brass accented high top stools nestle under the counter which was finished in rounded walnut.
Erik Rotter
The grand staircase, finished with a walnut handrail and accents, marble steps with brass detailing, and fluted plaster along the adjoining wall.
Erik Rotter
The main stairwell showing the Studio Endo light fixture that descends from the atrium.
Erik Rotter
The his-and-hers master walk-in closet features an Arabescato marble counter, brushed brass frames and fixtures, and white oak herringbone flooring.
Erik Rotter
The master bath is encased in Arabescato marble, features polished nickel fixtures, and high gloss lacquered cabinetry in Macassar ebony. The custom Evelyn sofa by Audax nestles between the water closet and spa shower.
Erik Rotter
The master sitting room features the Muriel cloud chandelier, a Cava Emperor marble clad fireplace, and high gloss cabinets framed in brushed brass.
Erik Rotter
The office features Minotti chairs, walnut cabinetry, polished nickel accents, and a white oak chevron floor. The ceilings are coffered with custom frieze molding.
Erik Rotter
The office bathroom, featuring Caravaggio marble surfaces, Macassar ebony lacquered cabinets, and a brass Waterworks faucet set.
Erik Rotter
The Villa Cortile floor plan, including landscaping and terraces.
Audax Architecture
