Rockview House

This new build, located high up above the Burrard Inlet, is home to a young family of four. Oriented around a central courtyard, the layout encourages an easy flow between indoor and outdoor living. The clients requested a low-maintenance, unfussy home, with resilient finishes and generous storage, and without compromising the home's restrained, elegant design. Furniture in the living room was selected to sit low, in order not to obfuscate the ocean view.

The restrained, calm palette acts as a foil to the busyness of everyday life with young children. Warm natural materials, such as wood and plaster, provide a serene backdrop to the stunning views; their subtle textures are highlighted as sunlight moves through the home over the course of the day. Custom furnishings were commissioned to balance scale, and classic furniture pieces were chosen to provide sculptural focal points, for example the PK 22 chair and the Ligne Roset Togo.

The home employs architectural strategies common to many mid-century residential houses of the area. The siding is locally sourced, band-sawn vertical stained cedar, and floor-to-ceiling windows are positioned to connect inhabitants with nature and light. These ideas are meant represent some of the design principles modernists handpicked from history and skillfully applied to contemporary life.