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Documentary explores elusive textbook millionaire’s Rosedale home

integral-house1-15James Stewart may be one of the most successful Canadian authors that CanLit has never heard of. His best-selling books have been translated into 12 languages, and are read by 90 per cent of Canadian university students (70 per cent in the U.S.). His signature title? Calculus: Concepts and Contexts.

Outside of the academic realm, the multimillionaire author of math textbooks is perhaps better known as the man behind Toronto’s Integral House, a private residence in Rosedale that doubles as a performance space and has hosted the likes of composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

On Monday (Sept. 29), Integral House will host a preview of Daniel Hope’s Koerner Hall 2014 season opener, “Max Richter’s Recomposed: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.”* While the $250+ tickets will price most out of the exclusive event, a film crew producing a feature documentary about Stewart will provide the masses with a look inside this singular home.

The Integral Man is the project of a trio of young filmmakers: director Joseph Clement, cinematographer Jackson Parrell, and editor Calum J. Moore. Clement says he hopes to screen the film at international festivals, with spring 2015 as the projected date of completion.

It’s worth taking a look at the trailer for a peak at the gorgeous interiors of Integral House. The 18,000-sq.ft., 5-storey home backs onto a ravine, so while only two storeys are visible from the front, the entire back glass wall looks out into the trees. And true to Stewart’s roots, everything in the house has a mathematical significance – from the curvy door handles to the “infinity pool.”

*UPDATE: Sept. 26: The Sept. 29 performance has been postponed as James Stewart is unwell. Tickets for the rescheduled event will be available at www.auraticmedia.com/tickets/.

By

September 25th, 2014

3:45 pm

Category: Book culture

Tagged with: Integral House, Jim Stewart, textbooks