Periscope House

Tucked discreetly into an established urban lot, Periscope House reinterprets contemporary infill living through a Japanese-inspired lens of calm, balance, and precision. Designed as a new rearplex primary dwelling with a secondary suite, the home is named for its hidden third-storey lofted study — a quiet retreat that peers out towards the neighbouring park through a single directional
window, much like a periscope emerging from within.

A restrained palette of materials and thoughtful detailing ground the design. The low, hipped-metal roof and generous overhangs recall traditional Japanese architecture, while the shou-sugi ban torched siding provides a textural, charred-black contrast to the warm vertical wood slats below. The base conceals garage doors within its rhythm of vertical battens and opens into an airy carport that blurs the line between enclosure and landscape.

Around back, a serene Japanese garden unfolds — complete with a sauna and cold plunge — creating a meditative pocket of outdoor living. The project demonstrates deliberate restraint within the constraints of its urban context, prioritizing craftsmanship, material honesty, and efficient spatial planning over excess. Every decision, from massing to material junctions, was made in service of clarity, simplicity, and a deeply personal sense of home.