Designing for Vancouver’s Urban Coastal Lifestyle: The Story Behind Big Sky Beach House

 

Big Sky Beach House — A Vancouver Take on an Australian beach house. Combining the open and airy feeling of an Australian beach house with the need for privacy on this small lot adjacent to Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach, this house was designed with the ultimate goal of simplicity in mind.  The homeowners wanted a home that felt cozy and warm in this urban coastal setting. Taking cues from the exterior material palette, natural cedar and concrete, the interiors feature wire brushed walnut, concrete floors, wool textiles, and flowing linen. The materials are not only functional, but also tactile and beautifully relaxed.

Architizer chatted with Andrea McLean, Principal at Andrea McLean Studio Inc., to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Andrea McLean: The urban coastal location of this home was the starting point for the design of this home. When we were hired for the project, our clients had already purchased the lot, which is half a block from Vancouver’s most popular beach, known by locals as Kits beach.

The client’s references were homes in similar urban coastal settings like Australia and New Zealand. After studying these examples, we worked very closely with the clients and the architects to resolve the home’s floor plans, and materiality, all with an understanding of the Vancouver climate.

The development of the interiors was a process of understanding the cues of the locale, the architecture, and the client’s wishes for a relaxed lifestyle. The concrete aggregate floors, for example, are low maintenance and reminiscent of the shoreline, even walking barefoot along the seawall in summer.

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

This home is unique to what we normally see in Vancouver, which makes it stand out locally, but it also defines a sense of comfort that translates anywhere in the world. This is the result of a design process that closely involved the clients, making the outcome very personal and honest.

Materials were chosen that convey the process of making, imperfection, even erosion, similar to the nearby coastline. The millwork is all flat cut wire brushed walnut that was sourced for colour variation and defects. There is no mistaking it for anything but real wood.

What is quite successful here is that the floor plans flow as fully open spaces, but can also be segmented by carefully detailed pocket doors, that are disguised to look like wall paneling when in use. Thus the experience is one of an environment, rather than of individual components like doors, trim, and closets.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

This 2 bedroom home sits on a 33 foot wide lot, the smaller standard lot size in Vancouver. It was identified early on that the floor plans needed to be extremely efficient in order to fit the desired programming.

First round floor plans revealed that the optimal layout was to have the bedrooms on the ground floor, and the living, kitchen, and dining on the 2nd floor. In other words, a reverse plan. The family room, fondly called the lookout, is up on the third floor.

As previously mentioned, millwork was a key design element that helped to solve many design challenges. Through careful and meticulous detailing, the millwork assisted in connecting spaces seamlessly by way of pocket doors, built-in concealed storage, and in some cases replaced the need for walls. Millwork was also used to conceal some of the structural and mechanical systems.

What is your favorite detail in the project and why?

The millwork is my favourite detail, and process. At the beginning of every project, clients get uneasy when they see the millwork budget. However, as mentioned above, with purposeful intent, millwork can do a lot more than function as just a cabinet or wall treatment.

The early process of selecting the right species, grain cut, and surface treatment are exciting for me. It also helps when the millwork team understands that they are being called upon to deliver more than just a cabinet.

Lauten Woodworking was the team we worked with on this project, and they went above and beyond to source the right veneer bundles that had the desired character. Because the client wanted the wire brushed texture, Lauten had to source veneer that was twice as thick. Not an easy task, but they did it.

In what ways did you collaborate with others, and were there any team members or skills that were essential in bringing this Award winning project to life?

The architects were driving the the massing, and the exterior envelope development. Both teams worked closely with the client to ensure the exterior and interior details were completely aligned and congruent. The Airey Group was a pleasure to work with, and we both respected and understood each other’s scope of work, and when it was necessary to overlap.

The contractor, Tyson of Coastline Projects, works collaboratively to problem solve on site, and ensures the trades understand the desired outcome. The electrician, Don Santolla, was critical in executing our lighting layout with the other electrical requirements. He sourced the recessed light trims from a better supplier than what we had specified.

We’ve all worked together before on other projects so it’s like getting back with old friends. We carry forward lessons learned from past projects, and we let each other do what we do best.

How have your clients responded to the finished project?

The clients now not only live in their dream home, but they have become fully integrated into their new neighbourhood. From the get go, they were so clear on what they wanted to achieve that it was very easy for the two design teams, architecture and interiors, to understand and act out their wishes.

The clients were organized, and available throughout the process. They were also aware of every decision, challenge, and potential solution, such that the outcome could only be in perfect alignment with their vision.

In the summertime, their door is open. They talk to passersby, they happily invite people in to reveal their private sanctuary. They are very proud of their home and the investment it took to get here. Not just financially, but also emotionally, and mentally. I was an absolute honour to be selected to work alongside them.

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

We believe that a successful project is one that marries our design experience and technical knowledge with our client’s personality and lifestyle, both now and in the future. We like to work collaboratively with all involved on the project, with no preconceived idea of the outcome. We like to observe, collect data, and ask questions. With this sympathetic approach, no two projects can be alike. Therefore, this project is like no other we have completed, and it will remain unique because of our studied approach and process.

Consultants

Architect, The Airey Group. Interior Design, Andrea McLean Studio. General Contractor, Coastline Projects. Millwork, Lauten Woodworking. Electrical, Santolla Enterprises. Exterior Screens, Linden Construction.

Products and Materials

Concrete (interior), Ornament. Linen Drapery, Cloth Studio. Pendant Lighting, AndLight. Plumbing, Cantu Bathrooms. Tile, Ann Sacks. Fireplace, Urban Fireplaces.

For more on Big Sky Beach House, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

Big Sky Beach House Gallery