{"id":967954,"date":"2026-11-12T13:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T13:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/967954\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T13:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T13:48:09","slug":"a-home-that-zigs-and-zags-to-catch-the-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/967954\/","title":{"rendered":"A home that zigs and zags to catch the light"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Designed by Linebox Studios, the home was arranged in a zigzag, or Z-shaped, configuration to account for zoning and code limitations.Kevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

For many people, the office is where they discover things they dislike: the frustration of paper jams, the discomfort of cramped cubicles, the pitfalls of petty corporate politics. But when IBK Ajila worked at Shopify\u2019s Ottawa headquarters, a space lined with so much warm wood that it almost resembled a sauna, he discovered something he loved: design. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize that architecture could actually make you feel so good,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Although Mr. Ajila eventually left tech for a career as a therapist, he kept that office in mind when it came time to hire an architect for his own design project. After he and his wife, Lisa, found a prime lot in Ottawa\u2019s west end, bordering a National Capital Commission park, they approached Linebox Studios to design a custom home.<\/p>\n

Linebox had designed not only Shopify\u2019s office but also the houses of several of the couple\u2019s friends, including a former manager. \u201cInitially, I actually said I didn\u2019t want the space to feel too Linebox,\u201d said Mr. Ajila. \u201cThey often use symmetry, or sets of three windows together. I said I didn\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The main floor’s open-concept layout allows for free flow between the kitchen, dining and living areas.Kevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

At the outset, Linebox founder Andrew Reeves and project architect Jennifer Jabs focused less on aesthetics and symmetry than on the atmosphere the couple wanted to create. \u201cLight was part of Lisa and IBK\u2019s description of what they wanted for the home,\u201d Mr. Reeves said. \u201cAt one point, they said they imagined having a house where you never needed to turn the lights on during the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was actually an off-the-cuff remark,\u201d Mr. Ajila said. \u201cBut Andrew took that and really turned it into the thesis of the whole house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenge was that the lot ran east-west, with a neighbouring house directly to the south, blocking the sun. The parkland lay to the north. \u201cWe wanted to have certain views, certain light conditions,\u201d Mr. Reeves said. \u201cBut there were zoning and code limitations on the number of windows we could have close to the lot lines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than opt for a conventional rectangular floor plan, Mr. Reeves and Ms. Jabs arranged the house in a zigzag, or Z-shaped, configuration \u2013 a first for the firm. By alternating between projections toward and recesses away from the lot lines, they could accommodate the large windows needed to capture sunlight as it moved across the southern side of the house while framing views of the park to the north. \u201cWe didn\u2019t need any variances,\u201d Mr. Reeves said. \u201cIt\u2019s not conventional, but it works with the zoning.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The property, in Ottawa\u2019s west end, borders a National Capital Commission parkKevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

The design also creates a beautiful interior environment. The main floor, with its open, flowing kitchen, dining, and living areas, is suffused with sunshine and picture-perfect views, not only of the nearby forest but also of the outdoor spaces tucked into the house\u2019s architectural zigzags. \u201cWe have a backyard with a pool we use a lot during the summer,\u201d Mr. Ajila said. \u201cThere\u2019s a courtyard along the side of the house with a hot tub we use more in the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

Mr. Ajila also appreciates how the house\u2019s unconventional, criss-crossing footprint allows him to catch glimpses of the building from different windows. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t get that with a rectangle,\u201d he said. \u201cWe spent a lot of time picking the cladding materials \u2013 the brick, the wood. They\u2019re nice to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the second floor, the bedrooms are divided into two wings, separated by a skylit atrium. During the planning process, Mr. Ajila mentioned that he liked to get up early and cycle along the nearby Ottawa River. But he didn\u2019t want to disturb his family as he got ready. He and Lisa had one young child at the time of construction and were expecting their second.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo reduce noise, Linebox proposed putting the primary bedroom at one end of the house and the kids\u2019 rooms at the other,\u201d Mr. Ajila says. \u201cIt was a thoughtful way to ensure my morning wouldn\u2019t affect the whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the separation gave Mr. Ajila pause. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure I wanted my room to be too far from the kids,\u201d he said. But Linebox built a virtual-reality model that allowed him to explore the design. \u201cSome people read plans, but it wasn\u2019t until I saw the space in VR that I was sold on the proportions, the way the whole house would come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As the design process progressed, owner IBK Ajila agreed to allow Linebox to incorporate its signature grouping of three windows, as seen here.Kevin B\u00e9langer\/Kevin B\u00e9langer<\/p>\n

The children aren\u2019t relegated to a forgotten corner. They have the pool and a basement play space equipped with climbing walls and a slide. \u201cThe playroom was originally supposed to be a kitchenette,\u201d Mr. Ajila said. \u201cBut we realized we would never use it. We ended up with a much more fun alternative. And when the children are older, there\u2019s plumbing hidden behind the climbing bars so the space can be converted into an actual bar if we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the design process progressed, Mr. Ajila relaxed one of his original requirements. Linebox incorporated its signature grouping of three windows in a couple of places after all. \u201cIf somebody sees those three parallel lines and said, \u2018I wonder if that\u2019s Linebox,\u2019 I\u2019m actually happy,\u201d he said. \u201cI realize that their motifs aren\u2019t taking away from the fact that this is our home. It\u2019s idiosyncratic to us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Designed by Linebox Studios, the home was arranged in a zigzag, or Z-shaped,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":967955,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[901,76,354,888,355,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,356,46,549,75,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-967954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-alberta","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-arts-news","tag-artsanddesign","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-design","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-entertainment","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=967954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/967955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=967954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=967954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=967954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}