East Van Residence

Designed for a young family deeply rooted in their East Vancouver neighbourhood, this home reimagines the typical urban infill as both a personal sanctuary and a quiet architectural statement. Replacing a tired 1950s bungalow, the new residence is a bold yet contextually sensitive addition that balances privacy with openness, simplicity with sophistication.
Challenging conventional residential layouts, the design inverts the typical floor plan—placing the kitchen, living, and dining areas on the upper level to maximize views of the adjacent park, Burrard Inlet, and the North Shore mountains. Bedrooms are tucked away on the entry level, offering privacy and a direct connection to the garden. The lower floor hosts a media room, flexible guest suite, storage, and mechanical spaces, all organized around a sunken, landscaped courtyard that brings light deep into the plan.
The home’s compact footprint and stringent fire code requirements led to the innovative use of Hardie Panel siding—an economical, non-combustible cladding material—transformed into a playful, textured façade. Subtle shifts in depth and rhythm create visual interest and shadow play throughout the day.
To create an expansive, uninterrupted living space above, long-spanning LVL beams eliminate the need for interior columns. An open steel staircase, clad in expanded metal mesh, runs from the basement to the roof, crowned by an oversized skylight that pours daylight into the heart of the home.
The material palette is restrained yet rich—board-formed concrete, natural stone, and Douglas Fir combine to create a warm, calming atmosphere. A custom-welded steel shelf, designed to showcase the owners’ extensive vinyl collection, becomes the living room’s focal point, embedding their personality into the space.
The rear accessory building acts as a multifunctional studio, garage, workshop, and pool house. When opened, it dissolves the boundary between private backyard and the public park across the lane, reinforcing the home’s connection to its surroundings and the community.
The East Van Residence is a study in thoughtful densification—modern yet modest, innovative yet grounded in the everyday life of the city.