User:Alainheurtelou/Sunset House in Vancouver

Architects: McLeod Bovell Modern Houses
Area: 6300 ft² and built in 2015

Sunset House along the West Vancouver coastline maintains the natural features of the location. The architects Mcleod and Bovell carefully studied the different views of the site to ultimately capture a view of the outer harbor and the maritime traffic of the coast. According to Mcleod and Bovell “The building is located on a steep and technically challenging site in West Vancouver, the Sunset House is designed to capture immediate views of heavy marine traffic and the open sea to the west.”



This building is a mixture of concrete, steel, wood, and leather. Firstly, the walls and slabs are entirely of raw concrete cast in place. Concrete is very advantageous because it resists weathering and wear. Moreover, it retains all its freshness, when left fully and for a long time at the mercy of the sun. To provide a more enveloping and aesthetic look, the exterior walls and slabs are sculpted to imitate the texture of the wood siding. This texture brings warmth to comfort, to modern life even in the depths of the forest which is also adjacent to it. Sliding glass doors allow the interior to become one with the exterior with the complexity of a terrace fitted with a glazed balustrade glued to a swimming pool which presents a view of the ocean and nature. According to Mcleod Bovell “ Board-formed concrete mimics the texture of the wood siding both on the exterior and interior of the home, its directionality used to either elongate surfaces or emphasize double height spaces between floor levels”.



The house was built according to the instructions of G'Day, the owner. He wanted the materials to find expression both inside and out, detailed with care to highlight the sculpted raw concrete. According to Mcleod Bovell” ''The client wanted a house that had an expression of craft and materiality. Heavily revealed board-formed concrete shows a soft wood grain texture and mimics the natural wood used throughout. Concrete at roof level creates the feeling that the space is solid and sculpted rather than assembled from a series of pieces…….''.”



''Erected on 15,498 square feet of land, completed in 2015, the team took on the architecture and landscaping. The ground floor sits on a plinth set into the ground with views out to the oceans. The basement houses''

01— Lounge

02— Rec Room

03 — Entrance Courtyard 04 — Bedroom

05 — Bathroom

06 — Storage

07 — Ensuite

08 — Bedroom The sunset house

In the intermediate level (Main floor) we find

01 — Lower Yard

02 — Infinity Pool

03 — Lounge Deck 04 — Terrace

05 — Master Bedroom

06 — Master Ensuite

07 — Master Closet

08 — Living Room

09 — Kitchen

10 — Entrance Courtyard

11 — Foyer

12 — Powder Room

13 — Laundry

14 — Garage

In the upper we find

01— Bedroom

02 — Ensuite

03 — Bedroom

04 — Ensuite

05 — Light Well to Basement (Abascal Valdenebro 2020, #)

06 — Office

''The levels are connected by stairs, the basement level leads directly to the ground floor which has a large terrace with a wide view of the landscape, the swimming pool and a view of the outer harbor and maritime traffic on the side. According to Mcleod Bovell “The exhilarating views of the ocean and downtown are incredible, but an unexpected focal point is the suspended infinity pool that soars audaciously 40 feet in the air. The exterior is a sleek, seamless affair of concrete, clean lines, with planked walls. The resulting effect, as intended by the designers, is that of a house expertly crafted and assembled by hand''.”

Analyze.

Even though the house is built on rock and high above sea level, it would not be immune to the threats of nature. The regular geometric shape reduces the critical points of the building structure. The choice of concrete seems not very acceptable and probably aesthetic, however can fight for many years the aggressiveness of the hostility of the environment and the climate on the envelope of the building. In this environment, wood would be welcome but not too resistant, so we can understand what prompted the architect to sculpt the texture of wood on the concrete walls to give the building an ecological and aesthetic aspect in a natural environment.

After analyzing Sunset House and the various projects carried out by the architect, we can conclude that his philosophy is to create a set of dynamic spaces by managing programmatic and climatic issues so that his architectural design is functional at all times, aesthetic and sustainable. For the Sunset House project, the architect had to follow the client's instructions while keeping his philosophy in order to achieve an intelligible architectural design adapted to the reality of the site. The characteristics of its context are adapted to modern architecture, it has favored the natural resources available in order to properly arrange its programming and find aesthetically formidable, comfortable and pleasant results in the eyes of passers-by and professionals. Even though some may negatively criticize the concrete material he used to make this masterpiece located on Vancouver's west shore, this material is still the most durable that requires less maintenance than any other that could be offered.