This private residence is located in the Point Grey
neighbourhood of Vancouver. The steep lot is situated in the RS-1 District,
which is an outright approval development zone that mandates homeowners to maintain the
single-family residential character of the District, with an emphasis on
encouraging neighbourly development by preserving outdoor space and views. The
heavily wooded lot looks north over the Burrard Inlet, downtown Vancouver and
the North Shore Mountains. The owners requested that as much existing landscape
features remain, ranging from large firs and cedars to indigenous shrubs and
ground cover.
The upper two floors of the house sit on a concrete podium
that forms a level base on the steep slope of the site, and creates a firm
boundary for the extent of the building footprint. Two independent volumes are
connected by a steel and glass structure, allowing for deep natural light
penetration into all areas of the house, while helping to minimize the overall
massing. Space flows horizontally, and steps down gradually from the south to
north volume, following the natural slope of the site. Entrance to the house is
in the south volume, which contains parking, a den and family room on the main
floor; the main level of the north volume contains the living, dining and
kitchen areas, which connect seamlessly to the patio and swimming pool that form
the roof of the concrete podium. Sliding glass doors completely open the
interior to the patio space, offering an extension to the living space in the
warmer weather. The swimming pool frames the north end of the patio, and its
infinity edge results in an uninterrupted and reflective frame to the forest
and views beyond.
Stairs within the glazed void space connect the three levels
of the house. Adjacent open to below spaces allow for light to penetrate from
the overhead glass roof to the basement level. The second level contains the
bedrooms, which are zoned for privacy and divided again by the glass void
space. Three bedrooms run along the south face and share a recessed deck,
allowing for deep solar protection for the large expanses of glazing. On the
north side, the master bedroom is dominated by continuous floor-to-ceiling
glazing, exposing the room to the views beyond, while maximising daylight
exposure. The arrival point in the lower level is flooded with light from the
glazing over. Its programme provides mechanical support for the house, as well
as a media room, guest suite and a playroom for the young family members. The
playroom also provides a physical, as well as visual, connection to the
backyard, with the groundcover sloping up from the curtainwall glazing, further
blurring the line of indoor and outdoor.
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