Michael Taylor Architecture + Design

Michael Taylor Architecture + Design Since 2000, Michael and his team have developed an international reputation for creating elegant architecture and interiors in Canada and abroad.

Michael Taylor Architecture + Design builds on the legacy of Taylor Smyth Architects and continues its commitment to client service, attention to detail and design excellence. Each project is cultivated from the spirit of its location and the distinctive tastes and unique vision of our clients.

Nature does it better! Inspired by the natural poetry of the Canadian Shield in Georgian Bay - formed a billion years ag...
09/12/2026

Nature does it better! Inspired by the natural poetry of the Canadian Shield in Georgian Bay - formed a billion years ago. The banding is a record of heat and pressure deep underground when granite and other rock were folded and recrystallized. The smooth and scoured surfaces record the last ice age that retreated roughly 12,000 years ago. Photographed on a recent trip, early September.

We’re pleased to announce that two of our projects have been awarded Gold certification in the 2026 GRANDS PRIX DU DESIG...
08/21/2026

We’re pleased to announce that two of our projects have been awarded Gold certification in the 2026 GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards – Percy Lake Cottage and Tract House 2.0.

A connection to the landscape, and views of nature through the day and seasons, are integral to the experience of our ho...
08/10/2026

A connection to the landscape, and views of nature through the day and seasons, are integral to the experience of our houses and cottages. Here are some of our favourite images – House on the Bluffs, House on a Ravine

The MTA+D team revisited our House on a Ravine last week and stopped for a few photos. Built 25 years ago, the house loo...
07/31/2026

The MTA+D team revisited our House on a Ravine last week and stopped for a few photos. Built 25 years ago, the house looks as current as the day it was completed. Only the landscape has changed.

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the ba...
07/21/2026

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the back-and-forth with the client — stays out of view.

This is the fourth in a series tracing how some of our residential projects evolved from early design studies to built form.

The front façade of the Courtyard Residence began as a composition of staggered stone volumes. Over successive studies, we lightened the material palette with smooth stucco surfaces and unified the massing under a single roof line and a continuous canopy that runs the length of the house before extending out to float over the one-storey office.

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the ba...
07/18/2026

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the back-and-forth with the client — stays out of view.

This is the third in a series tracing how some of our residential projects evolved from early design studies to built form.

For the Blair Athol Residence, currently under construction, the façade shifted from a horizontal composition to a series of vertical stone elements of varying thicknesses between metal transom panels. The garage door cladding alternated between metal and wood across successive studies.

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the ba...
07/15/2026

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the back-and-forth with the client — stays out of view.

This is the second in a series tracing how some of our residential projects evolved, from early design studies to the final result.

For the GFRC House, the façade began as a single horizontal volume and was broken down, over successive studies, into three to reduce the apparent length. Late in the process we removed the wood screen that had been part of the design from the start. The client agreed that the composition was stronger without it.

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the ba...
07/13/2026

Most architects show only their finished work. The process that produced it — the studies, the discarded options, the back-and-forth with the client — stays out of view. This is the first in a series tracing how some of our residential projects evolved, from early design studies to the final result. For the façade studies of the Dunvegan Residence we began with a more conservative approach, then realized that a contemporary design clad in Indiana Limestone would complement the traditional vernacular of the neighbourhood without imitating it.

06/11/2026

More from House on the Bluffs.
This house came from a real collaboration — clients who were willing to think alongside us, to trust the process, and to let the design grow out of genuine conversations. That relationship is what matters most to us in any project, and it’s what stays with us revisiting the house years later for this walkthrough.
The projects we’re proudest of are always the ones built on that kind of trust

06/10/2026

House on the Bluffs is for sale.
A residence we completed in 2011 on the Scarborough Bluffs has come to market, and Michael Taylor had the chance to revisit it in an Architect Video Walkthrough where he shared the concept behind the design.

The house was built on the foundations of the owner’s childhood home — a move that enabled us keep the mature trees on the site undisturbed. From the street it reads as a simple stucco box with a screen of channel glass that glows like a lantern at night. Facing Lake Ontario, the rear dissolves into two storeys of glass, with the master bedroom cantilevering out over the dining room below.

Here are some moments from the walkthrough.
Visit mtaylorarch to see the full video.

Address

Toronto, ON

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+14169686688

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