Saturna Island 2, Canada BC

Exposing the geology 

Andrew's private residence is in a pristine and amazing location in BC, Canada.

The idea behind the personal design/architecture is all about fitting the dwelling into the site in a humble way and experiencing the landscape in all its drama.

Architecture and landscape architecture are in constant communication with each other.

The concept of a volume floating above the bluff worked out very well. The design of the residence is a simple one. It’s a rectangular box positioned on a long wall of concrete that acts like an artificial rock face inspired by the linear natural rock faces already existing in the protected bluff. 

The house design is one open space with a surface of about 1000 sq. ft. Within the one space; different subspaces are created by a central unit which houses the kitchen, the bathroom and a walk-in closet.

This amazing landscape needs only minimal and subtle landscaping. A few lines and gentle composing activate the beauty of the site. The hardscaping exists of sandstone harvested on-site and used in different ways and floating decks of local cedar lumber and 1x2 feet concrete tiles. 

The planting exists of a base of native and local trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials together with a subtle selection of more non-invasive cultivated bulbs, perennials and biennials. All are serving the natural identity of the landscape and not taking away from the natural carpet and ecosystem but adding and enriching it.

To be continued