THE SOUTHLANDS RESIDENCE | Dialog Architecture + Interiors

The Southlands Residence nestles into a mature heavily vegetated corner site in Vancouver’s historical Dunbar-Southlands neighborhood. A year-round fresh water stream divides the irregularly shaped property as it threads its way below Marine Drive to the south. The Southlands Residence spans the riparian environment and sets up a circulation sequence that culminates in a grand south facing outdoor ‘room’ on the water’s edge. The design capitalizes on moments of natural splendor in social zones while playfully borrowing from foliage and topography in the creation of private contemplative spaces.

The house was designed around the structural grid established by an earlier residence. While remnants of original footings and columns remain, the residence completely reinterprets the competing notions of privacy and exposure adjacent a well-travelled avenue. Strategically placed concrete fin walls in the landscape, meticulous interior millwork objects, and substantial feature skylights define private living zones on an otherwise open main level. Polished heated concrete floors run continuously throughout. An exposed wood roof with jewel-like steel connections runs the length of the house, extending generously beyond large expanses of commercial curtainwall glazing. The deep eaves offer protection from glare and direct weather penetration while framing views of the planted basin and maximizing natural illumination. A perimeter network of decks straddles this covered zone, further blurring the line between interior and exterior. Surrounding bamboo, rhododendrons, and Japanese maples become as much a part of the interior living areas as the client’s carefully selected pieces of furniture. Connection between the main floor and a lower living area is in the form of a highly crafted steel and glass stair. Descending to the more sequestered zone below affords a fleeting glimpse of the creek and navigable landscape beyond. A concrete path crosses over the slow moving water and threads south under the sculpted wooden belly of the house. Where previously the landscape had bounded interior volumes, the building skin now frames entry into the luscious outdoor realm.