Project: Edgemont House
Architects: BattersbyHowat Architects
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Completion year 2018
Text and photos by BattersbyHowat
This 4,200 square foot, single family residence is situated on a newly created, subdivided lot in an established neighborhood in North Vancouver, British Columbia. With close proximity to neighbors and limited views of the local mountains, the focus of the Edgemont House is primarily oriented towards a forested ravine.
The Edgemont House is designed for a successful entrepreneur who desired a secluded escape. The front façade is relatively opaque, with strategic openings that frame the garden and connect to a private outdoor lounge area sunken down from the street and centered around a fire bowl. A narrow floor to ceiling slot window in the pink glass tiled powder room visually connects the occupant to the front yard wildflower meadow of pink coneflowers.
Concrete is used for sidewalls, including an angled form on the south sidewall of the house that clips views of the neighbor and anchors cables for a greenery that can be seen from the living room. The second floor windows and a private deck for the master suite are given a layer of privacy to the street with a series of angled metal fins.
The majority of glazing is focused on the ravine side to provide panoramic views of the mature forest and to capture late afternoon sun. Light is pulled into the home along a sloped ceiling on the main floor created by the use of an inverted truss design which also encompasses hidden mechanical runs. The bottom edge of the ceiling runs slightly “on the bias”, creating a dynamic tension that connects the living, kitchen, dining, and office spaces. Offset stairs in plan then create an architectural “canyon” to connect all three levels of the home, spatially.
Polished concrete floors, random flitch elm veneer millwork, and white stone are deployed throughout the home, creating a consistent quietness.
