This next design is not actually in Ottawa - and I am not sure if it was ever built. It is an apartment complex design from a 1963 advertisement for LOF Glass.  It is just so unique that I wanted to share it. Enjoy!

In the Elmvale Acres/Urbandale area there are a few houses built by Economy Home Builders with a rather curious floor plan. While from the outside the houses look as though they are high ranches or raised bungalows, they are actually quite different inside. The main living spaces are on the lower level - which is halfway below grade. I am not sure why they were designed this way - but my guess it that it was economical, thus lowering the price of the house. Without a basement, the 4 bedroom design was comparatively less expensive then 4 bedroom bungalows or 2 storey houses. Without a basement, the furnace room and storage area are on the lower level. This particular house has had multiple additions built on to it. This may have been the original model home for the builder. Two examples of the plan in Urbandale. This design was included in the floor plan package, but I am not sure if this particular version of the 'Su...

You may have noticed that I have not posted for a while - yikes! I have recently started my studies towards a PhD, and have my hands full with readings. I will be sure to incorporate my studies into this blog. To keep your mid-century modern appetite in check, I will make an effort to post unique and rare floor plans regularly.  Below is a floor plan by Teron that was built in Beaverbrook - although not extensively. Interestingly, there is another B-50 plan that was built in the area that is a completely different design. I quite like the unusual floor plan with a bedroom wing that juts out behind the house.  Notice that there are very few windows on the front of the house, which is a common design feature of mid-century modern design. Privacy is clearly the motivation of the layout with windows that overlook the rear yard. Even the bedrooms are situated in a way that affords the master bedroom the buffer of the bathrooms, as well as having its window ...

From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s a series of modern townhouse developments were built in Ottawa. Although they were built just outside the mid-century period, they have a very modern design aesthetic. Both the exteriors and the interior plans of these houses are unique and on my list of favourite plans. Where Booth Street meets Lebreton Flats is a row of houses that are a perfect example of this style of modern townhouse. Each house is a different colour - allowing for individuality in the collective row. The surrounding area has pockets of such houses, including the ones shown below: The Village Green, by J. Perez Corporation, c.1981 Many of the modern townhouses of this era are split-level designs and feature vaulted upper-floor ceilings as in the cross-section below.   The importance of natural lights is a common theme with these designs, so skylights and large windows are often used. In some houses interior window...