Description by Battersby Howat Architects:
Located in a Whistler neighborhood halfway up the mountainside, this house was designed for clients who appreciated the timber structures characteristic of a Whistler Chalet, but desired a unique family home for seven that would capture this ambiance without its typical organization and aesthetic. Situated on a prominent site, the visual mass of the structure was diminished by making a substantial portion of the house appear to be below grade though the strategic removal of bedrock, and by the extension of the living room terrace over the garage. An upper courtyard deck area was also carved into the massing to gather light centrally into the house. The result is a home that looks deceptively modest in relation to the neighboring properties.
The careful allocation of program allows for retreat zones for both adults and children on the uppermost and lower floor levels respectively. Privacy is also achieved through edited views from within the home that capture the many distant mountain peaks along with the immediacy of the rock and flora that embed the house in its site.
Standing seam metal roofing and black stained shingles clad the main form of the structure. In contrast, recessed areas are lined with clear finished red cedar, douglas fir beams and large planes of glazing that bring warmth and light into the interior spaces.
Design Office: Battersby Howat Architects
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Photographs: Sam Jim Canzian
Homizer 