Reside: Contemporary West Coast Houses

By Michael Prokopow (Figure.1, 2024)
A decade ago, Greg Bellerby?s book The West Coast Modern House: Vancouver Residential Architecture chronicled key developments in West Coast Modern architecture, including several contemporary practices continuing that legacy. The present volume is positioned as a continuation, foregrounding new voices in a selection curated by architect Clinton Cuddington. 
The 34 projects range in size and geography, from Openspace?s expansive 8,200-square-foot Trail?s Edge residence, on a forested site in Whistler, BC, to Simcic Architecture?s 450-square-foot Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency, which occupies a platform that also includes a restored 1927 wood cabin that serves as an artist?s studio. A group of city buildings spans from single family homes by architects including A A Robins and Haeccity Studio Architecture, to the multi-unit East Georgia Flats by AIRstudio with Birmingham and Wood. Trail?s Edge, a cottage in Whistler, BC, by Openspace Architecture, embraces its forested site. Photo by Russell Dalby
Prokopow visited each of the houses in the book, sometimes accompanied by architects and hosted by owners, and sometimes on his own, retrieving keys from hiding spots in sheds. His thoughtful commentary touches on the history and culture of the different sites, the composition and materials of each project, and the experience of moving through the houses?often emerging onto a top floor with expansi...