Renovation of century-old home adds space for family

During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Savtaj Singh Brar started to worry about his mom. Dr. Brar and his wife, Jaspreet Dhaliwal, were planning a renovation of their downtown Toronto house. Meanwhile his mother, Simerjeet, was isolated in her suburban home in Brampton, Ont. “We got a call one day,” Dr. Brar recalls, “and she said to me: ‘I’m feeling really sad. Can I move in with you?’”

The answer was yes, and the couple changed their renovation plans completely. The couple asked Omar Gandhi Architects to redesign their century-old house and accommodate Ms. Brar, who, partially paralyzed by a stroke a decade ago, uses a wheelchair. Four years later, the 2,500-square-foot house includes an elevator, a fully accessible bedroom and bath, and an interior language that balances modernist details with Punjabi architectural tradition.