" That is not art in itself, is meant to to receive art." The remark perfectly describes the work of Urban Keios partners Jason Grant Henley and Nickolas Semanyk. Both strongly believe a fine line exists between art and architecture - be it sculpting, painting or photography - anything that evokes emotion.

After graduating from Carleton University's school of architecture in 1991, Henley and Semanyk began their career in Russia. In a land of limited materials, the team was pushed to their imaginative limits.

They learned the hard way that if a design required a component that either was not available or did not exist - they simply created it. Self-reliance became the key to their success. When they returned to Canada, they brought along their creative ingenuity. From their desire to ignore convention, was born a new art form: Urban Keios.

Two years ago, the Urban Keios team arrived in Chelsea, Quebec. A resident had seen one of their designs, loved it, and eagerly hired them. Their results were remarkable. This Chelsea house, perched high above the Gatineau River, is a work of art. Built on three levels, the home is a combination of colour, differing materials, and form. It is an artistic composition created from four cube-like structures.

While aesthetically pleasing, however, a very real problem presented itself during the initial excavation. The slope upon which the house was to be built measured 26.5 degrees. At that pitch, the brakes on the cement trucks would not hold. Peter Markhauser of Markhauser Construction, the acting project manager, developed an unusual but effective solution. A crane was positioned half-way between the road and the building site. Markhauser stationed bulldozers on the road with massive chains linking them to the cement trucks. The operator of each bulldozer slowly released the connecting chains, and the trucks were gradually lowered down the slope. In case of emergency, a crew person was standing by, cellular phone in hand; thankfully, the foundation was poured without incident.

The care and fun that went into making this home are apparent from the moment one enters.

The entrance is found at the uppermost level of the house. With a ceiling height of 16 feet, it is overflowing with natural light from a narrow window set high above the floor. Below the window line is a coat closet, designed in an elongated S-curve and left open so as not to impede the wash of light throughout the room.

A three-way gas fireplace and storage unit mark the right side of the entrance. At a height of four feet, neither the storage unit, nor the fireplace block the wonderful view of the Gatineau River, and the flow of light continues. Immediately adjacent to the entrance is the kitchen. Here again, the ceiling height reaches 16 feet.

Picture windows placed just above the counter frame the river setting, while more light flows down from the upper windows. The perimeter windows play on the idea of positive and negative space, while balanced and functional cut-outs attract attention.

Urban Keios collaborated with Design First Kitchen Interiors to create a room of clean, simple lines - with an occasional curve to prevent monotony. The maple laminate cabinetry from Beckermann was supplied by Design First. Shelves along one window wall connect the single upper cabinet framed by a pair of vertical windows. Recessed halogen puck lights along the bottom of the shelves work as task lighting.

The kitchen island devised by Urban Keios is simply exceptional. The offset blue Corian counter is kidney-shaped, and appears to be floating three inches above the rectangular work surface. The supporting leg was intended to be a dancer's leg with toe shoe; but the clients, both creative people involved with the arts, found this interpretation to be too literal. Henley and Semanyk reworked the design, substituting instead an elegant iron support.

It was the clients who found the perfect final touch for the kitchen: a series of hand-painted tiles fashioned by a local artist. Scattered across the backsplash, they add a certain je ne sais quoi to this beautiful environment.

Henley and Semanyk asked the contractor to build a solid wall. Once the wall was up in rough, the design duo, armed with pencils, sketched and re-sketched areas to be cut away. Only when they were satisfied did the contractor go about "removing" them. The finished wall became a sculptural piece entitled "Woman Standing."

Drawing upon their Russian experiences, Henley and Semanyk also built the one-of a-kind (lining room table. They combined iron and plyvood with a playful leg design, to produce an inexpensive work of art. The multicoloured leather chairs were elected by the clients at Philip Van Leeuwan's, in the Byward Market.

The clients also chose the suspended blue halogen fixtures. They found them at the Design Store, also located in the Byward Market. The open and airy living room is crowned by a high cathedral ceiling. Markhauser, the project manager, suggested the materials for the fireplace mantel - boom logs dragged from the Gatineau River during the early 1990s. Adding a bit of local history to the home, the mantel acts as a strong focal point within the space.

Since the clients had asked for a window seat for the room, Henley and Semanyk invented a design that literally broke through the exterior wall and was cantilevered over the edge of the building. The window seat is set askew to allow its occupant to see all the way down to the river. The rigid, wedge-like nook is softened by the curve of the base. Juxtaposed with the angular ceiling, it creates a dynamic yet soothing detail. Henley and Semanyk took advantage of the space below the scat by turning it into a flip-up blanket box.

Urban Keios has designed a perfect escape from the hectic everyday world in the master bathroom. The sensuous curved line of the tub deck soothes the senses, as do the deep green slate tiles found throughout the room.

The predominately grey-gr,een and white colour scheme is accented by the natural maple veneer of the vanity. The cabinets are again by Beckermann. They and the jade Corian countertops were supplied by Design First.

Hand-painted tiles add bursts of colour to the tub deck and shower with splashes of deep blues, rusts and jewel tones.

For the vanity mirror, one of the clients purchased an embossed pewter frame. Design First did the rest - a brilliant piece of design. Friedemann Weinhardt, of Design First, is responsible for the ingenious D-nosed Corian jade edge to the tub deck, shower sill and ledge.

Along the final and most private level of this superb residence, one discovers the art studio and home office, a small bathroom and sauna. One of the clients is of Scandinavian origin, where belief dictates that saunas and windows go hand in hand. Henley and Semanyk took heed, incorporating a window into the sauna's design. Naturally, it provides a spectacular view.

It is not difficult to understand how or why Henley and Semanyk have earned their enviable reputation. This Chelsea home is another example of how deftly the Urban Keios team explores the interaction of positive and negative space, transforming architecture into art and art into architecture. "This project ended up being an effort of people going the extra mile," declared one of the clients.