Gulf Island Residence
The house is located in the Southern Gulf Islands on the site of a former cottage. To the north and east the site is defined by public roads. New construction has been set back from the original structure and located on a strip of land to the west where there are views out over a secluded bay. This avoided the need to remove any trees, and at the same time made it possible to create a new entry for the house while retaining existing points of access onto the site for pedestrians and vehicles.
The foundation and lower level of the house are concrete and stucco. These materials anchor the house to its surroundings and create a base for lighter construction above. This includes a zinc roof that folds onto the north elevation to form both a wall and a canopy. Wood framing is exploited at both roof and floor levels and it cantilevers out on the south facing elevation to provide shading and underline the formal qualities of the house. Prefabricated roof trusses, designed with extensions of the top and bottom chords, articulate the prosaic assembly. The ottom chord has been extended so as to express the cubic ature of the interior volume and at the same time inscribe an obvious datum against which to read the varied topography of the site. The depth of the roof truss is revealed as a recessed mass between the elongated interior volume and its zinc clad wrapper.
The entrance to the house has been planned within a gap on the northern elevation. This gap is also referenced in section by slippages in the roof planes and the points
where the stair creates an opening in the floors. Protected external walls have been designed with a rain-screen cladding of horizontal slats of yellow cedar that define
areas of human habitation, entrances, decks and patios.
Photographed by Tom Arvan.