Called on to create a private retreat in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto interior design firm ACDO had the opportunity to subvert the conventional waterfront getaway. The client had a clear vision for his home situated on a sandy stretch of Lake Ontario — “Canadian beach house meets Asian resort,” says ACDO founding partner Abraham Chan, one that not only invoked the surrounding natural environment but also incorporated elements inspired by his global travels.
The space itself was unconventional: 929 square metres spanning the fifth and sixth floors (the penthouse units, which the client had combined) of a mid-construction condominium. A vast blank slate with striking views of the lake, it presented a unique situation, but also a...
This content is available exclusively to My AZURE+ members.
To subscribe to My AZURE+, choose your preferred option below and get immediate access to the full magazine experience.
Thank you for supporting AZURE.
Choose your preferred delivery option from below and get access to groundbreaking architecture, vibrant interiors, inspiring ideas, exciting new furniture and products.
All subscription options include access to exclusive web content including the latest edition.
- #310
- Mar/Apr 2025
- Five conversations about community changemaking, plus vibrant design news from Miami, a stunning home in Toronto and a dispatch from Iqaluit.
- Get the Issue
- #308
- Jan/Feb 2025
- From standout homes like Patkau Architects' latest Vancouver gem to the groundbreaking residential neighbourhood of East Bayfront in Toronto and new approaches for densifying the single-family house, the Jan/Feb 2025 issue celebrates the exciting directions that home design and housing are moving in.
- Get the Issue
- #308
- Nov/Dec 2024
- Good design is synonymous with climate-conscious design in our Nov/Dec edition, which coincides with our inaugural Human/Nature conference.
- Get the Issue
- #307
- Sept/Oct 2024
- In the projects we feature throughout this edition, we hope to expand the definition of culture as it’s normally viewed in the realm of institutional architecture — and to hone in on works that stretch design’s possibilities in housing these new expressions.
- Get the Issue
- #306
- Jul/Aug 2024
- Our AZ Awards 2024 edition praises excellence across the many disciplines of design, as awarded by the renowned members of our jury and recognized by the People’s Choice vote.
- Get the Issue
- #304
- May/June 2024
- If two realms of work can be said to occupy opposite sides of the spectrum, they might be the industrial factory and the A.I. company. Standout examples of both types of workplace are featured in our latest issue.
- Get the Issue
- #303
- Mar/Apr 2024
- Simply put, this issue argues that we need more options, in everything from housing to healthcare to education. Can we create more options for how we house ourselves? For how we approach the housing and care needs of our aging populations who are especially fragile? For how we teach architecture to begin with?
- Read the Issue
- #302
- Jan/Feb 2024
- In this issue, we highlight homes that encourage personal expression and communal engagement — all of them specific to their particular contexts.
- Read the Issue
- #301
- Nov/Dec 2023
- In the magazine world, there is always the temptation to identify “emerging talents” or “change agents,” to seek people at the tipping point of their careers, before they are known entities. With AZURE’s Nov/Dec 2023 issue, we tried to move past these marketing hooks to shine a light on people doing great work that we wanted to tip our hats to.
- Read the Issue
- #300
- Sept/Oct 2023
- In our 300th issue, we look at the rich history of social housing in Vienna, exciting new commercial developments in Detroit, and how Naples has put art and architecture at the centre of its subway expansion.
- Read the Issue
- #299
- July/August 2023
- Throughout the pages of this AZ Awards issue, you will encounter marvels that boldly address both problems and possibilities.
- Read the Issue
- #298
- May/June 2023
- The expectation that people will keep their heads down at their workstations from nine to five with the occasional jaunt to the water cooler or sojourn in a group meeting has gone the way of the cubicle. Offices, post-lockdown, need to be places that provide mental and spiritual sustenance. And those featured in this issue do exactly that.
- Read the Issue
A Lakeside Penthouse Blends Global and Local Design
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto interior design firm ACDO draws from high end global resorts while connecting to its locality.