What started as a spec house turned into one of the most detail-oriented projects of architect Chris Hunter’s career. Thanks to his forward-thinking approach to design, Hunter, who’s the principal at his own firm, hunterOFFICE Architecture, was prepared for the sea change to come. “I design with strong bones so future owners can adjust,” he says.

For the design-minded buyer of this modern 3,500-square-foot house in Whistler, British Columbia, Hunter’s ethos paid off. The owners', who have Canadian roots and live in Hong Kong, had been visiting the resort town regularly since 2013 before they stumbled across the construction site with Hunter’s name on it. “We were intrigued by the stacked monolithic block forms and overall design, which looks like something we would have built from scratch,” says the husband, who explains that their steel, wood, glass, and concrete home in Hong Kong has a similar sensibility.

While fine tuning the black-stained, cedar-clad structure was relatively easy, solving for the exposed conditions of a corner lot took some thought. Drawing on memories of courtyard houses he had seen on his travels to Jakarta and Guatemala, the husband envisioned building an enclosure beyond which lay a sort of Shangri-La. “I remembered these gated homes where you would walk through all these doors and suddenly find yourself in an incredible sanctuary,” he says.

Creating a sense of privacy was a priority given the circumstances of the corner lot, but so was integrating the home into the neighborhood. Hunter recommended his longtime colleague, landscape architect Julian Pattison of Considered Design, to devise a plan that would enclose the home without conveying a “keep out” sentiment.

On the side of the property that runs along a street beset with a bus route and a bike path, Pattison’s design provides screening for the pool and lounging areas, and complements the architecture without seeming standoffish. Six-foot-high sections of pigment-dyed, board-formed concrete march along the property line seven and a half feet apart. Cor-Ten steel pickets set at precise angles are nestled between each, and are pushed back about two and a half feet to alleviate the sense of a solid barrier. Colorado blue spruce trees further soften the effect.

“The pickets work like a vertical Venetian blind,” Pattison says. “When you’re on the terraces by the pool, you can see out to Rainbow Mountain, but when people walk past the fence they can’t see in.”

Pattison refers to the automated front gate—comprising three enormous powder-coated aluminum panels that slide behind a concrete wall—“an engineering feat.” Rainbow Mountain is visible beyond the house." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Ema Peter" photoUserId=""/>

Around the bend on a quiet cul-de-sac, a trio of black powder-coated aluminum panels stretch along a recessed track on the split-faced, basalt-paved drive. “The rumble under your tires from the uneven texture delivers a subliminal message that you’re home, while the smooth texture of the flamed stone of the walkway is more pedestrian friendly,” Pattison says. “Details like this were very important to the owner and he understood them implicitly.”

The home’s second story, essentially a cantilevered box, shelters the broad, platform-style stairs. Once through the pivot door and across the threshold, the surface underfoot changes from teak decking to concrete that was cast in place; the transition in material provides a tactile guide between indoors and out.

The steel-and-oak stair in the gallery-like entry leads visitors to the second level living space. The primary suite is tucked to the right at the front of the house, but turn the other way and the main living spaces unfold across the long lot.

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A custom glass curtain wall and an adjacent cantilevered deck run along the entire north side of the house before wrapping around the west end, drawing the eye deep into the space and out to the leafy green landscape. “We lined up the living spaces to views of Rainbow Mountain and the sunset, and cropped out the neighbors on the opposite side,” Hunter says.

Interior designer Josianne Bérubé designed the expanse of black millwork that lines the parallel wall in the living room. The shelving there provides the owners with a place to add a personal touch. To complement the space, a richly patterned rug made of wool and silk infuses color and character. “It’s minimal but cozy, like a modern cabin,” says Bérubé.

The double-sided, wood-burning fireplace offers separation from the dining area, where a branch chandelier by Lindsey Adelman hangs over a handmade white oak table of Bérubé’s own design. “Having a statement piece was important to contrast the linear light over the island,” she says.

The owners were hesitant about running black throughout the living space, but Bérubé assured him that the millwork would tie it all together by providing continuity. “The husband wanted to understand the reason behind every detail,” she says. She also recommended the Fenix surface material that covers the cabinetry and the countertops.

The continuous band of glass doors provides a seamless transition between the home’s interior and exterior living spaces. There are three bedrooms on the ground floor, and a family room that opens to the patio and pool. “We lined the pool and spa with one-inch-square black glass tiles so the water reflects the sky and trees,” says Pattison.

While Whistler is heralded as an international ski destination, the owners are mainly summer people who like to bike, hike, and go to the lake. Due to the pandemic, the family has yet to experience the retreat in the warm weather, but the owner hopes they will make the trip this summer. “The kids are really excited about finally using the pool,” the husband says, adding that he and his wife eager to return to admire the finished home. “I love the symmetry, the sense of harmony, the flow of energy, and the thoughtfulness that went into every aspect of the design. It makes us feel at peace."

Related Reading:

A Decades-Old Home in British Columbia Is Reborn as an Art-Filled Haven

This Handcrafted Home in British Columbia Has Joyful Camp Vibes

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: hunterOFFICE Architecture Inc.  / @hunter_office

Landscape Architect: Considered Design Inc. / @considereddesign

Interior Design: Josianne Bérubé, AKA architecture + design  / @blancspace_josi

Builder/General Contractor: Sitka Whistler Construction Ltd. / @sitkawhistlerconstruction

Structural Engineer: INFORM engineering

Cabinetmaker/millworker: Leon Lebeniste Inc. / @leonlebeniste

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