designed by : ron thom
built in : 1952 (2017-listed for 4.38mil)
an excellent example of a well-kept mid-century west coast modern house.
check out my earlier blog post on this house from 2012.
current realtor listing here.
Tag Archives: mid-century modern
west vancouver mid-century : 6245 taylor drive
designed by : arthur mudry
built by : ? in 1965 [2017-listed for 10.8mil]
short write-up on the house by the realtor:
a magnificent 1 acre waterfront estate in gleneagles with over 200 ft of west facing, gently sloping oceanfront. this architecturally designed home by arthur mudry is situated on a tranquil and park-like property on a quiet street with towering cedars, natural gardens and winding trails to the water that invite swimming and kayaking. immaculately maintained, this elegant west coast home features 2,620 sq. ft. of living with a sensational great room with floor to ceiling windows and signature fireplace, a master bedroom suite upstairs, and an expansive deck to enjoy outdoor living with spectacular sunset views to whytecliff park and bowen island. this is a rare and untouched preserve of west coast waterfront…
this house is in good company with a dan white modern next door (cascading boxes)
mid-century modern : 909 jackson crescent
designed by : g. douglas wylie
built by : ? in 1962
a short blurb about the house from the realtor:
mid-century modern gem in new westminster’s heights neighborhood. situated high on a huge massey heights lot with an expansive view. this 60’s mid century architecturally significant home designed by g. douglas wylie and built for the taylor family is coming to market for the second time in over 50 years. a japanese influenced post and beam ranch home with full basement features a u-shaped design surrounding the court-yard in-ground swimming pool. vintage home fans will love the massive white marble chimney, original marble floors marble teak paneled family room, sliding shoji screens, spiral staircase and sunken tub looking out to a secret garden. a rare find in unaltered condition.
mid-century modern : 3030 west 45th avenue
tucked behind lush landscaping at the street, this house features wonderful living spaces beyond this outwardly solid facade
designed by : fred dalla-lana
built by : the zack family in 1973
short blurb by the realtor :
once in a while something special comes along. this stunning example of a west coast modern design is nestled into a private and mature landscaped setting on a 52’ lot. the seamless connection between the indoors and outdoors and the abundance of natural light make you feel like you are living among nature. the large master suite is on the main floor with a generous ensuite and walk-in closet. head upstairs to find two bedrooms that share a hall bathroom plus a large open den overlooking an upper deck. the open living concept on the main floor offers entertainment sized rooms with the added bonus of a large covered patio for the warm summer months. the attached double garage provides plenty of storage as well.
short description from the 2007 vancouver heritage foundation’s mid-century home tour:
designed by fred dalla-lana for the zack family, this unique west coast home won architectural awards and editorial recognition during the 1970s. enclosed by neighbouring houses and shadowed by tall cedars, this 50’ lot has few hours of actual sunlight. this aspect coupled with the zack family’s wishes to remove no tress and to have complete privacy (“a summer cabin in the city” was their vision) were the essential motivators of the design. the result is a large courtyard garden open to the sky with the house looking inwards, not out to the neighbours. this arboretum is partly open to the weather so that potted trees and greenery of all kinds can flourish, but it’s roofed with glass like a high shed or greenhouse to give it shelter from the winds and rains. thus, outdoor living is possible not only on hot summer days but for most of the year. natural light is maximized through the extensive use of skylights and the introduction of the large reflecting pool and travertine floor tiles which return light into the house. probably the only home in vancouver built and finished entirely in re-sawn mahogany, the home has a very warm quality to it, while the white travertine marble floors and simple earth coloured furnishings bring a sophisticated air to the space as well.
great sunken conversation space in the living room
large open spaces in the back of the house offer privacy
retro kitchen in excellent condition
upstairs sitting room overlooks the skylight-covered patio below
mid-century modern : 543 eastcot road, west vancouver
“the house without an inch of drywall”
designed by : fred hollingsworth in 1950
built in : 1953 [2014 – listed for 1.89mil]
Check out the listing by realtor, John Jennings.
a stunning example of west coast modernism, this intact fred hollingsworth home is widely regarded as his best and most important work. the 4 bedroom, 2 bath home is perfectly integrated with the surrounding landscape, which features a roy sumi designed japanese garden framed by mature local conifers, all on a very private 33,250 sq ft lot in the lower british properties. the interior of the home includes a grand fireplace, custom furniture and built-ins, innovative recessed lighting, original terrazzo floors and warm custom cedar walls and natural brick that flows seamlessly from interior to exterior. the owners have undertaken necessary up-grading and restoration, but have not disturbed the integrity of this artistic and architectural masterpiece! estate like lot .69 of an acre, completely, private, quiet, over 65 mature local connifers, water feature, and a formal Japanese garden. fred hollingsworth was a leading exponent of the residential design principles and philosophy of the late frank lloyd wright. the house is married and in harmony with its site and setting and boasts deep overhangs, concealed gutters, and large framed wooden windows and doors. the one level three bedroom home has large principle rooms with vaulted ceilings, recessed and valanced lighting, and lots of big windows and doors.
very frank lloyd wright inspired interior with built-in bench, large masonry fireplace, corner windows and indirect lighting. not to forget all the wood paneling/cladding on the walls.
an article in montercristo on fred hollingsworth here.
a nice post on ceo.ca pertaining to some of the work of fred hollingsworth here.
some other houses on architecturewanted blog here.
mid-century modern : 5246 1st avenue, tsawwassen
designed by :
built in : 1970 [listed for 829k]
here is a short description of the house by len diaz, realtor :
this is truly one of prestigious pebble hill’s best examples of westcoast mid-century modern architecture. this ‘dwell’ worthy home boasts a newly built 2-car garage of cedar sides with aluminum and frosted glass doors, 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, post and beam details, on a large 10,958 sq ft private, sunny, corner lot. bringing the outdoors in are the double glazed floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the tranquil, south-facing backyard.
the open concpet living dining space has glazed wall opening onto south-facing level back yard. 
view of the living area with exposed beam and t&g wood ceiling.
the original brick and metal fireplace. 
dining table has view of the glass wall and beyond.
nice feature of the living room is the built in sofa along the wall.
looks like the kitchen has been renovated in the 80s or so, but the layout and size seem quite good.
mid-century modern : carmichael residence
here is a sneak preview for the upcoming west vancouver home tour : one of the house in the tour will be the carmichael residence designed by ron thom and built in 1958 and recently (2011-2012) renovated.
below is an article from the december 2000 edition of heritage vancouver newsletter
adele weder has an article in the globe and mail, that was written when the house came on the market back in august 2011. there was a great fear that the house would be bought by someone who would buy it for property value only and bulldoze the ‘architecturally significant’ house to make way for some gaudy monstrosity. there was a sign of relief to find that the new owners, jan & jim, would embark on sensitive renovation of the house.
a few worthwhile quotes from the article:
It takes just one glance at this sculptural cluster of wood and glass to imagine the extra materials, craft and hours of labour logged by its builders back in 1957.
“The house demonstrates Thom’s increasing confidence in his exploration of complex geometric forms,” observed architectural historian Donald Luxton recently.
But Mr. Thom imbued the house with his own spirit. The hipped roof is embedded with clerestory windows that infuse the foyer and corridors with ethereal light. The shards of light and hexagonal bulkheads create a shifting pattern of shadows against the upper walls, as unexpected as an abstract canvas. Mr. Thom originally trained as a painter at the Vancouver School of Art – he never attended architecture school – and made every house he designed as unique as a portrait. “Ron took inspiration where he could find it,” Mr. Luxton said, “not copying but filtering and reinterpreting design themes, like riffing on a jazz theme.”
The hexagonal grid boosted the original construction costs considerably. But it actually makes the house seem much larger than its 1,150 square feet. As you meander through its living spaces, the diagonal trajectory makes for a whirligig circulation pattern, as though you’re walking through a continuous möbius strip.
If that’s the case, it will be a buyer with gumption, patience, and not much big furniture. “When you first enter the house, it reads like a derelict shipwreck,” says Darrin Morrison, curator of the West Vancouver Museum. “But you can see past that to the mastery of the house. He didn’t just build a shell; he built the whole thing like a finely crafted object. And as a design object, it’s spectacular.”
great little blog post on vancouverlights here about the original house.
fluff designs was involved in the renovation of the house. below are some links to the images and blog posts that go into some detail about the house during the last year of so in transforming it from a ‘derelict shipwreck’ to a fantastic renewed home.
flickr photo set of the house before the start of renovation here.
link to the floor plan here.
kicking it old skool with a 50’s maytag washer here.
last but not least, the finished carmichael house here. looks great, can’t wait to see it in person on the home tour.
update 2013-08 : check out the article in vancouver observer.
