Fells House, 1959/2025

• Constructed 1959/2025
• Location West Vancouver, BC
• Architect
  Ron Thom (Thompson, Berwick & Pratt)(1959)
  D'Arcy Jones Architects (2025)
• Use Dwelling

Across Ron Thom’s body of work are clear throughlines to the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Fells House is no different with strong themes that can be traced back to a collection of works that Wright dubbed his “Usonian houses.” Emerging in the late 1930’s, Usonian houses were designed to cater to the American middle-class, constructed with a simplicity of materials and construction techniques. The designs took on a strong horizontal emphasis, with open plan living arrangements, built-in furnishings, and as always, a deliberate integration with its natural surroundings.  

Originally completed in 1959 for Mr. and Mrs. Robin Fells, the design adopted these Usonian principles, emphasizing a horizontal form while adapting to its rocky West Vancouver outcropping. Stepping down the hillside over two levels, with bedrooms and utility spaces on the lower level and common living areas on the upper level, all its spaces were designed to open onto the landscape to terraces on the high and low sides of the property. With material restraint and affordability in mind, the home was singularly clad in cedar siding inside and out (cedar was a species of choice at the time for its cost-effectiveness and local availability).

The home has since undergone several renovations. In the mid-1960’s, under the new ownership of Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Hopping, plans were drawn up for the addition of a family room, a relocated front entry, and an added floor for a primary suite. Only the family room and new entry were completed. Again, under the new ownership of Mr. and Mrs. M.M. Beaton (relations to Arthur Müdry’s 1965 Beaton House), minor alterations were again undertaken.

In 2025, the most substantial renovation and restoration since its original construction will be completed, designed by D’Arcy Jones Architects. With sensitivity to the original design, the home has been expanded to include a new primary suite and a third bedroom, along with structural upgrades and updates to the entirety of the home.