Flying Stair House

Flying Stair House is a bold architectural intervention on an exceptionally narrow urban lot, where the original single-family home measured only 10 to 14 feet in width. The project transforms the existing structure through a full third-floor addition and a complete re-cladding of the exterior, redefining the house both functionally and visually.

At the heart of the design is a cantilevered staircase—a sculptural black metal volume that wraps around the building and lifts upward like a floating element. By relocating the vertical circulation outside the original footprint, the interior layout gains significant efficiency while the exterior expresses a striking new identity.
The floating stair volume hovers above the brick base, creating a dramatic contrast between the contemporary cladding and the traditional townhouse fabric. Its overhang naturally forms a sheltered outdoor space at ground level, adding functional value to the tight site.

The project celebrates verticality, lightness, and the negotiation between old and new. Through its sharp geometry, suspended massing, and thoughtful spatial strategy, Flying Stair House becomes a powerful architectural statement that reimagines what is possible on one of Toronto’s narrowest residential lots.

Flying Stair House 位于一块极其狭窄的城市住宅用地上，原始房屋最宽处仅有 14 英尺、最窄处仅有 10 英尺。 本项目通过新增第三层以及重新包裹外立面的方式，彻底重塑了这栋单户住宅的空间与立面形象。

设计的核心是一座 悬挑式室内楼梯（cantilevered interior staircase）。这段楼梯从结构墙体上轻盈地伸出，呈现出“漂浮”般的悬挑姿态，为窄幅空间带来强烈的建筑表达。
通过将垂直交通优化布置在新的包裹体量中，原本受限的室内平面被最大化利用，而楼梯本身也成为连接三层空间的雕塑性主角。悬挑体量在立面上形成强烈的现代视觉效果，与原有砖结构形成鲜明对比，既轻盈又具力量感。

在最底层，悬挑部分在建筑外部自然形成一个兼具遮雨与半户外用途的过渡空间，为这个超窄地块提供了难能可贵的额外功能性。

Flying Stair House 以其锐利的几何构成、悬挑语言、以及新旧融合的策略，突破传统窄地块住宅的限制，为多伦多密集街区带来一次独特而富有实验性的建筑表达。