Site
This project is located in Uplands, a garden suburb of Oak Bay planned by John Olmsted, son of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The large suburban site is defined by nearby Uplands Park and the adjacent Uplands Golf Course. This is a neighbourhood of manicured lawns on large lots, contrasting with craggy rock outcrops, meadows, and mature stands of Garry Oaks. This project’s street is defined by bungalows from the 1950s and 1960s, in contrast to the traditional architecture in Victoria’s oldest neighbourhoods.
Client
The clients are a professional couple with school and university-age children. They had lived in Vancouver, but were attracted to Victoria’s moderate climate and relaxed pace of life. The mother of one of the clients intends to live independently in the house’s guest suite during the winter months.
Design
The site is oriented east-west. The house was sited between mature Garry Oaks at the east and rock outcroppings near the street at the west. Living spaces and a pool are organized in a U-shape, enclosing a lushly planted courtyard. The house is low-slung, and was planned with two distinct zones connected by an entry bridge and a stair, dividing the house into private and public wings. This pinch-point between the two halves is finished with wood, to emphasize the transition between the two. All interior spaces are defined by concrete floors, white walls and curved ceilings that glow.
Two continuous clerestory light monitors catch south light to bring sunshine into the heart of the house. These elements create a variety of sculptural rooms, each with a strong connection to the seasons. On the north façade a home office protrudes out over a basement entry offering glimpses of the landscape in three directions. The master bedroom is focused on the backyard for privacy from the living areas, while an inner private courtyard is only visible from the master bath. A workshop and playroom is located under the living area, as far as possible from the house’s quiet bedroom areas.
The design responds to the generic suburban language of double garages, large windows facing the street, chimneys, and dominant rooflines by abstracting these elements and reassembling them. The design turns inward, to create a cloistered house that is shaped by its micro-climate. With an iron-oxide stucco exterior that references the commonplace brick and cement stucco seen in historic Victoria, this new house seems older than it is.
Photos: Sama Jim Canzian
