This modern custom home in Willowdale, North York pairs a contemporary primary residence with a fully integrated basement second unit for multigenerational living. Designed by Quadrant Architects at 49 Craigmore Crescent, the home was completed in 2024. It was designed under Toronto’s as-of-right secondary suite provisions, with the second unit built into the architecture from the first sketches rather than added after permit.
Yes. Under the City of Toronto’s current zoning, a secondary suite is permitted as-of-right in most low-density residential zones across North York, Willowdale included. The unit must meet Ontario Building Code requirements for fire separation, egress, ceiling height, and ventilation, and must comply with the City’s secondary suite provisions for entry, parking, and overall floor area.
The cleanest way to deliver a home like this is to design the primary residence and the secondary suite as one integrated project, permitted together. Coordinating both at permit, rather than adding the second unit after, is faster, cheaper, and produces a home where both halves feel like they belong to the same architecture.
Most basement second units in Toronto are added to existing homes after the fact. They feel like afterthoughts because they are.
The Craigmore second unit was planned from the first design sketches as a complete residence in its own right. Full kitchen, bedrooms, living and dining areas, private entry, code-compliant egress, dedicated mechanical separation, and the same design quality as the floors above. Light wells and carefully placed windows bring daylight into spaces that would otherwise feel below grade.
For multigenerational families, the difference between a proper secondary suite and a finished basement is what makes the arrangement work over years rather than months.
The main floor is laid out as a continuous living, dining, and kitchen space oriented to maximize natural light across the depth of the floor plate. A light-coloured material palette of pale floors, white walls, and minimal contrast trim reflects available daylight throughout the day, making the interior feel substantially larger than the buildable footprint on a typical Willowdale lot.
A dedicated home office on the main floor responds to a working pattern that has become permanent for many North York families. The space provides acoustic separation from the main living areas, proper sightlines for video calls, and dedicated storage, while reading as part of the home’s overall architectural language rather than a converted bedroom.
The client’s starting brief was specific: they wanted a contemporary home that drew on the modern home Quadrant designed on the property directly behind theirs. Sleek lines, minimalist detailing, and an airy interior.
The Craigmore design draws on the same modern vocabulary as the neighbouring project, including massing, fenestration rhythm, and material palette, while resolving differently in detail. The two homes read as siblings rather than copies.
Willowdale and the North York Centre area are among the most active parts of Toronto for modern custom home infill. Older bungalows and post-war homes are being replaced with contemporary residences sized to current zoning allowances, often with secondary suites built in from the start. The proximity to Yonge Street, the subway, Empress Walk, and Mel Lastman Square keeps demand steady for well-designed single-family infill.
Quadrant Architects designs modern custom homes across North York, Willowdale, Bayview Village, Lansing, and the broader Toronto area, with secondary suite integration where the lot and the family’s living arrangement support it.
Related work: custom home architect · multiplex housing · residential architect services
Project lead: Sara Rahgozar, M.Arch, OAA. 416-357-5713 · sara@quadrantarchitects.com