Swiss-style “horizontal homes” coming to Rosedale

in the National Post

Siamak Hariri has always been keen to design a residential project in a style commonly found in Switzerland, where he grew up. “You have these small, really well-made boutique apartments in Geneva,” says Hariri, a founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects. Such buildings rest diagonally on the landscape and feature generous interiors and terraces and are populated by kibbutzy residents. “Everyone gets to know one another and have each other’s backs; you become part of a supportive community,” says Hariri. “I haven’t seen anything like this in the city from both a design and lifestyle perspective.”

That will change with No. 7 Dale Residences (though chumminess will be up to the buyers, of course). Developed by  Platinum Vista, the 26 bespoke “horizontal homes,” as Hariri describes them, will sit on a quiet, pastoral plot in Rosedale. The four-storey building, with interiors by principal Alessandro Munge of Studio Munge, start at $5.5 million and range from 2,000 to 5,500 square feet. Occupancy is set for fall/winter 2022.

"When you’re walking through here, you feel organic and connected to the site."

Alessandro Munge

For her part, landscape architect Janet Rosenberg, founding principle of Janet Rosenberg & Studio, “will take full advantage of the dramatic location atop Rosedale Valley.” Scrawny young trees, often a blight on new developments, won’t be visible on this three-acre site. Rosenberg has preserved 150-year-old trees, in addition to planting an additional 1,200 mature ones, for grounds that will feel verdant from the start.

Indoors, German floor-to-ceiling curtain-wall windows will frame the view, says Hariri. Materials, sourced from the same suppliers Hariri uses for his custom-home clients, include “stone, bronze and red Danish brick to match the historic Rosedale homes in the area.” Varied layouts, meanwhile, grew organically from the building’s design, which “is like the god Janus with two faces,” says Hariri. “If you like those big bay windows and nooks and crannies you would have in a Rosedale home, that’s what you get on the street side.” Meanwhile, “units that face south are expansive and open and explode with glass so that they feel contemporary,” he says.

Says Hariri of his collaboration with Rosenberg and Munge, “The three of us have a lot of respect for each other’s work. We don’t see this as interior, architecture and landscape. With great architecture, everything is tied together like a wonderful piece of music. It should feel like every note delivers.” Such a holistic approach, says Munge, translates to a highly thoughtful building. “When you’re walking through here, you feel organic and connected to the site.” Even the placement of the Dada kitchens—Munge has the upscale Italian brand in his own home—take into account his colleagues’ work, in this case Rosenberg’s landscaping. “We pushed the kitchens back from the windows. The living, dining and family spaces are on windows. That’s where you live,” he says. “But with the punched windows on the north end, we took advantage of neighbourhood views,” he says.

In terms of palette, residents can go either transitional or contemporary. Both styles feature oiled oak floors, expansive glass fireplaces and luxury appliances. Closets and millwork are from Italy’s Molteni & C. “The engineering behind the closets and millwork, the way they function, the details—I know these buyers will appreciate that everything feels like a Swiss clock,” Munge says.

"The delivery of good-quality design is first and foremost—the rest is just white noise."

Alessandro Munge

“Nothing is polished. Everything is honest and subtle, not flashy,” says Munge of the natural stones used in the project. Amenity highlights, meanwhile, include a 24-hour concierge service, a private trainer room, a chef’s catering kitchen, a lounge space with kitchenette, a fitness studio/spa and a restored historical tea house overlooking the ravine.

“Really refined taste embraces understated luxury,” Hariri says of No. 7 Dale Residences as a whole. “A real luxury building will not be a ‘Look ma, no hands!’ building. This is going to sit quietly and elegantly and be carefully orchestrated to demonstrate hundreds of moments of care at every touch,” he says. “That is the definition of luxury.” As Munge sees it, “The delivery of good-quality design is first and foremost—the rest is just white noise.”

Homes at No. 7 Dale Residences start at $5.5 million. For more information, visit www.7Dale.com

Read Article in the National Post