The Accessory Building was designed for small office use in a residential neighborhood in the District of North Vancouver. The building is categorized as a Non-Parking Use Accessory Building and at 269 sf is the maximum size and height for the neighborhood zoning. The building contributes to an emerging model of infill mixed-use within established residential neighborhoods and specifically addresses the potential of the home-office. The building was designed to transition over time and is currently used as an art studio for the owner’s young family.
The essence of the building’s public and private roles is addressed in its form, program and approach to the site. The form of the building is a pair of folded L-shaped roofs that mirror each other in section and step up with the topography. Windows are carefully framed to filter public access and views to the garden. Public access from the street leads to a courtyard and mezzanine level. The public side of the building is modest and tucks quietly into the landscape and topography in a respectful nod to the residential neighbors.
The interior millwork and stair are almost nautical in their ambition to provide maximum storage and minimum clutter. Large sliding doors open the corner to the garden, expanding the workspace onto large decks in good weather and turning the space into a garden pavilion in summer. The garden court is framed by intersecting vertical and horizontal planes, creating a variety of weather protected sitting spaces and a carport on the north-west corner of the property.
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