Burned-out mill now a showpiece.
 
The reburbished mill blends touches of the old into its modern, energy-efficient design.

The reburbished mill blends touches of the old into its modern, energy-efficient design.

Architect Charles Simon has rebuilt the 1842 grist and lumber mill in Eden Mills.

EDEN MILLS (Jun 3, 2003)

Local people thought Charles Simon was insane when he bought the burned-out shell of an 1842 stone grist and lumber mill to undertake an intricate restoration.

Although it is still not quite finished, the former Toronto architect, planner and university teacher has created an eye-popping and beautiful house, office, studio and apartment from a rubble-filled ruin.

The distinctive project on the Eramosa River in Eden Mills, a picturesque village northeast of Guelph, includes features that are both environmentally friendly and save on operating costs associated with the reclaimed heritage building.

Simon purchased the derelict property after the 1979 fire, started a two-phased restoration in 1984 and basically completed the job last fall.

"Initially, all the local builders thought the mill was a write-off," says Simon, 66, who moved from Toronto in 2001.

"I took this on because I loved the structure. It was worth saving because of its heritage, although I could have built here more cheaply and more efficiently if I'd cleared the lot and started from scratch."

 

Architect Charles Simon has rebuilt the 1842 grist and lumber mill in Eden Mills.

Over the last two decades, Simon gradually rebuilt the structure, creating a house, office, studio and two-bedroom rental apartment, located partly under a stone-walled courtyard.

As an architect, he had gained international recognition for his work in energy-efficient building and sensitive site planning, particularly in housing. Today, he runs his practice from the mill site. Simon's wife, Anna, a sculptor, has a studio there, too.

Simon estimates the restoration, including property purchase, has cost about $400,000, although the first phase of the project -- the two-bedroom house -- was done economically. Essentially, a wood frame was constructed within four walls on the northern, less damaged part of the mill. The two-foot-thick walls then became stone veneer, and parts of the house were insulated to R-40 and R-25 standards.

The restoration uses space on four levels. In the house, an upper-level living room exploits the view over the millpond. The kitchen ceiling is about six metres high.

Off to the side, a dining room is a striking combination of stone walls, drywall and wood, tastefully decorated with tapestries and paintings.

The second phase -- the apartment, roof garden, office, studio and greenhouse -- was started in 2000. It entailed a lot of excavation and pouring of concrete. Now the sun shines through more than 450 square feet of glass on the south-facing greenhouse and a fan distributes the heated air to lower levels via a duct system.

A courtyard roof garden, about 10.5 metres long and 4.5 metres wide with huge open windows, looks like something from the south of France.

Simon says he's looking at energy alternatives, including generating hydroelectric power from the adjoining millrace. And although a propane-powered boiler now supplies supplementary heat to water-filled radiators, he hopes to switch to a burner using wood chips for fuel. They're already on the market in Europe.

Simon also plans to install inexpensive solar panels below the greenhouse glass to heat hot water, since in this location they won't freeze in winter.

Eden Mills was founded by Daniel and Aaron Kribs in 1842 and is now home to about 350 residents. The community is noted for its Eden Mills Writers' Festival, held every September.

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