Set on almost an acre of flat land adjacent to the Capilano River in West Vancouver, this generous and private property looks onto a mature west coast coniferous forest. Trees as high as 120’ border the property to the south and west, creating a feeling of being in a forest clearing. Because of the size of the property, it was possible to conceive of living on a single level, in a home draped around an internal courtyard with a generous pool. The simple gable section feels both familiar and crisply modern.

The home recalls a barn or traditional building, with the massing divided into three parts- a large central entertaining area flanked to the west by a bedroom wing and to the southeast by a covered outdoor dining and entertaining area, all seamlessly on the same level. Vaulted ceilings in each wing are possible because there is no second storey- instead focusing on the luxury of space. On the outside non-combustible cladding materials such as stone and metal roofing were selected to mitigate the damage from forest fires. A number of high performance features including thick walls, out-sulation and triple pane glass help the home achieve Step 5 in the BC Step Code. This home defines luxury as the reduction of home life to the core essentials, and making those essentials as refined and useful as possible.

Design: Cedric Burgers, Ryan Brown & David Yan