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Masters of West Coast Modernism

Category : Article

Date : October 1, 2018

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"Perched on a cliff" is a phrase often used to des

"Perched on a cliff" is a phrase often used to describe modern houses on Canada's west coast. Many of these homes meander through dense stands of forest, hide behind wild overgrown landscapes, and tuck around or integrate into steep rocky outcroppings. West Coast Modernism emerged at a time when clients were open to new ideas about design and living, and architects were more than eager to experiment with new building forms and techniques, the intrinsic beauty of natural materials, and contemporary ways of living. The south coast of British Columbia has no shortage of difficult, "unbuildable" sites, but architects saw potential then, and continue to see it now. ⁠
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Perched on a cliff, and tucked in between three granite bluffs, this is the Cliff House, completed in 1981, designed by Zoltan Kiss. ⁠
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #wilding #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

When you live in a region of the world that gives

When you live in a region of the world that gives you months and months of rain every year, you learn to embrace and play with the water, and to shed it away effectively. Modernist houses on Canada's west coast are designed for living in a lush temperate rainforest climate. This architecture shares principles of design rooted in a deep respect for nature and the embrace of its elements. As Arthur Müdry once said so eloquently, "nature is sacrosanct". ⁠
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West Coast Modernist architecture is commonly sited to retain and celebrate the natural features of its place. The McNab House expresses this very principle in no uncertain terms. Duncan designed the home around a translucent cathedral. The recessed, horizontal ribbon windows emphasize the lines of the landscape, while creating a transparency through a forest canopy of posts and beams with deep wood overhangs. In the center of this composition, and the experience of the home, a hole was cut to allow a tree to grow up through the building. ⁠
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McNab House, 1956⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Duncan Stuart McNab⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant west coast buildings + projects⁠
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #postandbeam #woodhouses #midcenturymodern #midcenturyhouse #translucenthouse #clerestorywindows ##westcoastmodernhouse #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #architecture #design #modern #modernwestcoast #modernvancouver #coastmodern #coastmodernism #heritagehome #iconichouses #duncanmcnab #duncanmcnabarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #westcoastmodernplaces #wcmlplaces #wcmlvan

This is the McNab House, completed in 1956, design

This is the McNab House, completed in 1956, designed by architect Duncan Stuart McNab for his family. Set high atop a steep suburban hillside, perched on a large rock outcropping, the home delights with expansive views of the Burrard Inlet. The post-and-beam structure was designed utilizing vertical wood siding and clerestory windows to envelope two separate wings flanking a central translucent cathedral. The view side of the house was left visually unimpeded with a floor-to-ceiling raked window wall. A Western Homes & Living article once referred to the house as "both a self-portrait of confident Modernism and a model of selfeffacement."[1]⁠
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[1] "Second in Command." Adele Weder. May 1, 2008. Canadian Architect. ⁠
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McNab House, 1956⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Duncan Stuart McNab⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant west coast buildings + projects⁠
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #postandbeam #woodhouses #midcenturymodern #midcenturyhouse #translucenthouse #clerestorywindows #westcoastmodernhouse #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #architecture #design #modern #modernwestcoast #modernvancouver #coastmodern #coastmodernism #heritagehome #iconichouses #duncanmcnab #duncanmcnabarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #westcoastmodernplaces #wcmlplaces #wcmlvan

One of the defining characteristics of West Coast

One of the defining characteristics of West Coast Modernism is, as Ned Pratt cited, "View and Aspect," whereby the siting and treatment of the building façades is sensitive to the dweller's privacy and strategically concentrated toward the most substantial views. The McCarley House is no different. From the street, the home is rather nondescript, with primarily solid wood clad walls and a tall bushy landscape. The design instead turns the dweller's gaze in the opposite direction, using an open plan and large strip windows, to situate oneself in the thickly forested hillside surrounding the site. ⁠
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McCarley House, 1956⁠
North Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed/ Built by Lewis Construction Company⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant west coast buildings + projects. ⁠
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #westcoastmodernarchitecture #westcoastmoderndesign #westcoastmodernhouse #postandbeam #woodhouses #midcenturyarchitecture #midcenturymodern #midcenturymodernhouse #modernism #modernarchitecture #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #heritagehome #postandbeam #architecture #design #artarchitecture #iconichouses #architecturelovers #houseinthewoods #lewispostandbeam #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #wcmlvan

Quintessentially west coast, this is the McCarley

Quintessentially west coast, this is the McCarley House, completed in 1956, designed and built by the Lewis Construction Company. The McCarley House exists among an extensive collection of homes built on the North Shore using the post-and-beam construction method. Not only was this West Coast Modernist vocabulary used to create economical modernist residences, more accessible to a broader range of middle class homebuilders, but it provided a structural framework that allowed for ultimate iterative flexibility in the interior layouts. ⁠
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The Lewis Construction Company, headed by Bob Lewis, was one of the most prolific midcentury design-build practices on the south coast of British Columbia, and widely celebrated for excellence in modern post-and-beam homes.⁠
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McCarley House, 1956⁠
North Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed/ Built by Lewis Construction Company⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant west coast buildings + projects. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #westcoastmodernarchitecture #westcoastmoderndesign #westcoastmodernhouse #postandbeam #woodhouses #midcenturyarchitecture #midcenturymodern #midcenturymodernhouse #modernism #modernarchitecture #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #heritagehome #postandbeam #architecture #design #artarchitecture #iconichouses #architecturelovers #houseinthewoods #lewispostandbeam #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #wcmlvan

🚨DEMOLITION ALERT: The Dawson-Purdie House was

🚨DEMOLITION ALERT: The Dawson-Purdie House was originally completed in 1956, designed by architect Ron Thom for Bob Dawson, a craftsman and friend of the architect, and his family. In a recent interview, Bob Dawson recalled his first meeting with Ron. “‘I remember Ron coming in the driveway. He looked at the solid granite rock, walked straight ahead, looked around at the hillside that was going down over several levels. And then he envisioned in his mind where everything could go: the front door, the windows, everything. He said, ‘Yes I’ll work with you, but first we need a topographical map of the rock.’”[1] John Southworth did the survey for them, and Ron Thom employed the “30-60-90”-degree grid to create a strikingly beautiful house whose angles fit into the irregular topography of the land.

[1] Dawson, Bob. Interview. By Adele Weder. 2020.
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Dawson-Purdie House, 1956-57
West Vancouver, BC
Designed by Ron Thom
Renovations by Russell Hollingsworth, 2008
Garden/ Gate Design by Barry Downs, 2015

Link in bio for more details
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #westcoastmodernarchitecture #westcoastmoderndesign #westcoastmodernhouse #coastmodern #woodhouses #midcenturyarchitecture #midcenturymodern #midcenturymodernhouse #modernarchitecture #canadianarchitecture #vancouverarchitecture #heritagehome #hexagonalarchitecture #architecture #design #artarchitecture #iconichouses #architecturelovers #archilovers #ronthomarchitect #russellhollingswortharchitecture #barrydownsarchitect #franklloydwright #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #dontdemojustreno #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan

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