Friedman House: Statement on Reported Sale

VANCOUVER: The West Coast Modern League is cautiously optimistic about reports of a planned sale of the Sydney Friedman House in Vancouver. We are pleased that the purchaser has expressed his intention to preserve the house and restore the landscaping, and we will be following this story with interest. Designed by Fred Lasserre, in collaboration with landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, the recently restored 1953 house is exemplary of midcentury modernist architecture and landscape. Dr. Friedman bequeathed his house to the University of British Columbia with the intention of it being used as accommodation for visiting scholars. Especially now that Ms. Oberlander has fully restored its landscaping, we call upon UBC to keep the house, working with academic and community groups as necessary, in order to honour the house, its legacy, and Dr. Friedman’s intentions for his generous donation.