Nelson House, 1941

• Constructed 1941
• Location New Westminster, BC
• Architect
  Robert A.D. Berwick, Charles (Ned) Pratt
  (Sharp & Thompson, Berwick, Pratt)
• Use Dwelling

When Nelson House was built, architects on Canada’s west coast were only starting to embrace new, modernist ideas. Completed in 1941, Nelson House was built the same year as the renowned B.C. Binning House, recognized as the first modernist house in Vancouver, but with notable differences in their commitment to modernist principles. Commissioned for Richard Nelson, a Norwegian-born entrepreneur and co-founder of Nelson Bros. Fisheries, and his wife Evelyn (Kellie) Nelson, the home was designed by notable architects Robert A.D. Berwick and Charles (Ned) Pratt. By this time early in their careers, both architects had been elevated to Associate at the venerable firm of Sharp & Thompson, but neither had fully yet adopted modernist principles. Rather, they were experimenting with modern ideas, materials, and forms blended with more traditional architectural styles, fitting for a neighbourhood of predominantly Victorian, Craftsman, and Colonial heritage homes.