Project size: 16,600 square feet

Program: Situated on a very steep and technically challenging site, the house was designed for a family of four to capture expansive views of the harbor and heavy marine traffic along the jagged West Vancouver coastline. Direct connections between the main living spaces and an outdoor terrace and pool areas were critical.

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Solution: The building’s irregular shape traces the site boundary, coming to an angled blinder that provides privacy from tight adjacent properties. Movement into and through the house is carefully choreographed to disguise the considerable elevation change from street to living space—no individual stair run is greater than 1/2 story, allowing an unobstructed sightline from the oversized pivot entrance door through to the rear deck. Similarly, the split level arrangement allows for generous volumes in the main living spaces and a closer connection between the upper and main floor, while also providing dramatic elements such as the 40-foot elevation drop from the suspended deck and plunge pool to the rear garden below.

Construction and materials: The home has a cave-like feeling due to its predominantly concrete construction, with carefully carved spaces that feel intimate yet expansive. Limited materiality creates a meditative and calming experience, with contrast between solid and soft elements throughout. Board-formed concrete mimics the texture of the wood siding both on the exterior and interior of the home—its directionality is used to either elongate surfaces or emphasize double height spaces between floor levels. White leather pulls on white millwork are juxtaposed with carved wood handrails and wide plank oak flooring. The palette was stripped to the essentials, allowing the home to feel cohesive and solid.

Additional Information

Completion date: 2015

Gross square footage: 7,900 square feet

Total project cost: Withheld