Project posted by WNDR Architecture + Design
STACK
The Goldsmith family commissioned Regeneration Design Studio (now WNDR Architecture + Design Inc.), to design their new home in Vancouver BC. The family came to us with a humble brief that evolved as we worked through the interview process. The dialogue started with the intent of renovating the existing home on the property where the clients had lived for the the past 15 years.
After some deliberations, the clients asked if we could design something that could accommodate their family, aging parent and an in-law suite on the property. They wanted to make sure that every dwelling can have some private outdoor space and privacy. Although the clients wanted a modern aesthetic for the home, it was important for them to make sure the home fit into the existing architectural fabric of the neighbourhood.
After many conversations about the clients day to day, ins and outs, their hobbies and passions and getting an understanding of their personalities, we presented them with a concept for a principal dwelling containing the family’s home with an in-law suite on the garden level and a one storey auxiliary dwelling in the rear yard. The design is minimal in nature — austere in its ornamentation, yet arresting with its pure stacking forms anchored by the concrete steps up to the front porch, wrapped in a bed of bamboo trees.
The interior spaces of the home follow the minimal intent of the architecture. The spaces are designed for adaptability for each members of the family, including a parlour for music and entertaining, a gaming dungeon for the teenagers, a large entry mudroom at the front door for everyday things.
Visibly austere detailing in the home with the sprinkling of colour accents in the fixture and furniture set the mood of the home. The space reads as a bright yet cozy abode for the family to work, play and rest in equal measure.
An auxiliary dwelling in the rear yard was designed to be a ground oriented one store dwelling for aging parents keeping future adaptability in mind. The spaces are lofty and bright with ample custom cabinetry to optimize storage and utility in the compact dwelling. With a baby grand at the heart of this space, the client's mother has nicknames the building her "jewel-box", claiming that her home is perfect for all her treasured things.
Creating outdoor space in an urban context can be challenging. Relocating outdoor space from the ground plane beyond the building footprint to the roof plane allowed us to replace the yard space lost because of a larger home on site - creating a private space for our clients and semi-private spaces for the in-law suite and auxiliary dwelling along the ground plane.
Details
Square Feet
3600
Lot Size
5000sf
Bedrooms
4
Full Baths
3
Partial Baths
2
Credits
Posted by
Architect
Interior Design
Landscape Design
Builder
Saint Construction
Photographer
Publications
From WNDR Architecture + Design
STACK is a multi-generational dwelling, home to three generations of the client's family. The principal dwelling includes the primary residence for the clients family and an in-law suite on the garden level with an auxiliary dwelling in the rear yard for aging parents. These three dwellings are organized around structured outdoor spaces along the ground plane and a private roof top patio for the principal dwelling.
The design of the building ventures to explore familiarity and comfort in its austerity, with its pure geometric forms and minimal details, inside and out. The interior spaces are adapted for the client's lifestyle delivering functionality for daily use in its minimal framework.