Canvas House subtly stands apart within its neighborhood of Forest Hill in Toronto. Operating as both a house and a vessel for the owner's contemporary art collection, Canvas House embodies the revered pieces of art it contains through an innovative sculptural façade. This square house - surrounded by Georgian homes - exhibits a monochromatic undulating brick façade that differs from the surrounding symmetrical and conventional residences.

The rhythmic façade responds to function by swelling outward to form an overhang above the door and receding to allow light around the second-floor skylight. The movement within the masonry is unscripted yet arranged like the motions of a theater drape, which is an ode to the client's background in theater production.

The facade's unmodulated pattern, formed by a repeating unit of five bricks, is inspired by Larry Poons' early works. Optics are accomplished by pairing the single-colored brick with individually improvised corbel variations, allowing the design to showcase the brick's ability to encapsulate the elegance of a Georgian home without relying on traditional forms.