The C-House

Nestled in the middle of the urban oasis that makes up the West Point Grey neighbourhood in Vancouver, BC, this single family dwelling and its accompanying laneway house at the rear serves as the principal residence and guest house, respectively, for a young growing family that desired a house in which they can entertain friends and family and has a modern and contemporary look -- a style unlike the conventional A-framed traditional cookie cutter homes that are so prevalent and replicated in this and other neighbourhoods around the city of Vancouver.

This C-House's West Coast contemporariness is characterized by its large overhangs, expansive windows and modular aluminum composite metal (ACM) panels juxtaposed to the warm cedar siding. With fascias faced with dark sheet metal and soffits outfitted with clear-stained cedar planks, the distinct C-shaped overhangs strategically provide walls and windows with protection from the elements.

Stepping in through the front door and into the living room, you get a brief sense that you never even entered the house at all as the massive Kolbe VistaLuxe floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room (and similarly in the master bedroom above) not only welcome in the cool ambient light from the North but they also immerse you in the views of the lush green foliage in the front yard and the mature maple trees standing in attention out on the boulevard. In a sense, these large windows act like an ever-changing canvas painting that shows off the distinctive four seasons of Vancouver.

Then when you want to retire from the scenic views of the north to a more reserved yet immersive part of the house, the suspended wood slat ceiling above the living and dining rooms direct you to the rear of the house where the action in the kitchen and the family room continues. Accessorized with Gaggenau appliances, the kitchen welcomes its guests with a deep waterfall countertop that acts as a magnet for socializing. The large screen TV in the family room pulls its own weight with the game of the day or the movie of evening. Finally, the 12ft wide folding window, floating inches above the kitchen counter, and the adjacent 10ft wide folding door set in the family room lets the action in these respective interior spaces spill out onto the rear yard patio where infrared heaters installed in the soffits will keep its guests warm until the wee hours of the night.