The clients wanted an additional space in their home, a place where their children could visit them while maintaining privacy and independence, yet still staying close on the same plot. To achieve this, they commissioned architect François Abbott and the local studio Fabrication Studio, which specializes in this type of accessory dwelling. Together they conceived Copper House, a small independent guesthouse in the garden of the family home, on the outskirts of the quiet Sunnybrook Park neighborhood in Toronto. It has been clad in copper so that the building can register the passage of time. Designed to integrate into the landscape, it is positioned alongside a row of trees that shade the private plot from the adjacent public park.

They chose to use copper, a material present throughout the neighborhood, installing it in vertical channels across the facade and the roof overhang. Initially bright and reflective, this material was ideal for aging quietly alongside its surroundings, gradually acquiring brown and green tones over time, like the trees, mirroring natural cycles and the changing seasons, and softening through exposure to weather, rain, and sunlight. Abbott also selected wood, with its warm and natural finish, to complement the facade for the same reason. The result is a sober and discreet structure, yet cleverly designed, blending seamlessly with the landscape and the life unfolding within it.

Measuring 60 m², the architecture of a single story is raised off the ground on helical piles to protect the tree roots. In this way, air and water can circulate freely beneath the house. The elevated base casts shade below, giving the volume a sense of lightness. Inside, a monolithic wooden core houses the services: kitchen, bathroom, and storage. On one side, the living area opens onto the garden through folding glass doors, while on the other lies the bedroom.