If Western Canadian cities were a family, Victoria would be drama queen Vancouver’s hippie-granola kid sister: easygoing and low maintenance. For the new class of remote workers emerging out of the pandemic, this coastal city presents the allure of a promised land, where you can get more bang for your buck, maybe even snag a little property, and still have some world-class restaurants just down the street.

“During construction, I bet people thought we were building a bridge,” says Goodman with a laugh." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId=""/>

But even before the wild real estate ride set off by Covid—with big-city dwellers everywhere seeking space for working remotely and entertaining safely—Victoria fell prey to its own allure. A boom of young families flooding in during the last several years jacked up the housing market and exacerbated a lack of midrange, modestly sized starter homes.

Imperial—and that turned out to be the case. One neighbor owns a street wear shop; another has talked about starting a board game night. Two other toddlers also live in the complex—built-in buds for Michael’s son, Nathan." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>

There were expensive heritage homes aplenty and condo towers galore (perfect for the empty nesters and university students who make up much of the city’s population). But that Goldilocks sweet spot of not too big and not too small became more and more elusive.

By early 2021, the median home price was flirting with CAD $1.2 million (USD $940,000) for the first time—and often for a teardown structure or at least a property needing major renovation. The middle, as they say, was missing.

For developer Ryan Goodman, who lives in Victoria himself, it has been frustrating to watch. “We want to build houses that reflect the future we see for Victoria, which is a city built for a young, creative workforce,” he says. But prices were pushing this influx of talent and young families farther and farther away from the heart of the city. Goodman decided to do something about it and began developing homes specifically for that demographic.

Nathan in their home’s kitchen." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>the development’s six townhouses has a terrace off of the kitchen and a roof deck." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>

Then Goodman came across an awkward, wedge-shaped lot in the Oaklands neighborhood (10 minutes from downtown) with a “For Sale by Owner” sign and saw a huge opportunity. An audacious proposal from architect D’Arcy Jones sealed the deal. “I was just bullshitting because I wanted the job,” Jones says with a wry smile. The Vancouver-based designer had told Goodman he could fit five houses onto the lot—long vacant because of its eccentric geometry—though he wasn’t entirely sure how.

With the help of associate architect Jesse Ratcliffe, Jones would one-up his own BS. The angled, handsomely brutalist building they designed wound up accommodating six three-story, two to three-bedroom units ranging from 1,641 to 2,004 square feet and starting at just under CAD $800,000 (USD $625,000).

The homes, known as Pearl Block, cascade out from the front of the lot in a stepped form, offering each its own view of the street via a large picture window in its second-story living room as well as from the covered courtyard-like area between the front door and private garage.

Aiko's home are muted. “Honest materials,” Goodman calls them, including the wood that lines the stairway. The finishes provide a canvas for the homeowners’ lives, says Jones. “Let people’s stuff add the personality.”" layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>Shantell Martin hangs in the couple’s dining area, home to a Saarinen table from Knoll, a quartet of Eames chairs, and a pendant from Herman Miller." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>

Stucco facade panels jut past the third-floor bedroom windows and wrap around each unit’s roof deck like horse blinders, offering privacy from neighbors both within the complex and in the single-family homes that abut it. The units also have sliding doors leading to side balconies bounded by landscaping.

Avery pendant from Crate & Barrel hangs above the dining room table." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>

Michael Imperial and Aiko Lista (and baby Nathan) were the second family to purchase one of the townhouses. It was a long way from home for the young couple: They’d grown up in Ontario and were happily living in an 800-square-foot apartment in Toronto, close to the e-commerce company they both work for. The small quarters and shared laundry were worth it for a vibrant city life—until the pandemic came along. Their favorite restaurants shut down. Their office went digital by default. All signs pointed to a change.

Aiko’s parents had relocated to Canada’s West Coast years earlier. Being closer to family and nature, plus the milder climate, was appealing. Coming across Pearl Block’s modern design and affordable price made the couple commit. “It was a perfect storm,” says Michael. “It just made sense.”

When it came time to design the individual units, Jones took density as a personal challenge, weaving everything one would want from a single-family home into a tight yet airy package.

“People aren’t looking for the white picket fence anymore. They’re looking for communities where they can raise their families, and they want to live in innovative, creative houses.”
—Ryan Goodman, developer

For former condo dwellers like Michael and Aiko, it feels like a miracle. “We can be in spaces where we don’t see the other person,” says Aiko, with mock disbelief. Weekdays, they alternate use of their shared office by the entryway on the ground floor, switching off taking work calls with walking Nathan to one of the dozens of nearby parks (or neighborhood coffee shops).

In their back unit, the largest of the six but without a garage, a black-paneled stair takes the family from their unique entry level (which holds storage, a roomy laundry area, and their office/guest room) up to the living and kitchen area, and then into the sleeping quarters on the third floor; one more flight leads to a glass hatch, which opens up onto their cedar-clad rooftop deck.

What’s unusual here is the height of the deck walls: as tall as a fence, intended to block out the neighboring rooftops and make way for mountain views and sky. Michael and Aiko have put up string lights and grown a tomato plant. Some neighbors have set up hot tubs or fire pit tables.

Brennfield Wicker Egg Chair from Rona." layout="" credit="Photo by Grant Harder" photoUserId="6133434422835130368"/>

With all the windows and doors open, air flows effortlessly through, up, and down the levels. “I feel like I’m at the cottage,” says Aiko. It’s a home that’s a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: D’Arcy Jones Architects / @darcyjonesarchitects

Developer: Ryan Goodman of Aryze / @aryzedevelopments

Structural Engineering: RJC Engineers / @rjc_engineers

Civil Engineering: Westbrook Consulting

Landscape Design: Biophilia Collective / @biophiliadesign

Interior Design: D’Arcy Jones Architects / @darcyjonesarchitects

Cabinetry Design: Coast Cabinets

Siding: Chouinard Exterior Wall Systems

Windows: Ply Gem / @plygem

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