Ovation Award Winner: Best Custom Home: $1.5 million – Under $3 million
Ovation Award Winner: Best Interior Design
GVHBA Builder: Upward Construction & Renovation Ltd
In creating the home Ultra Modern, the architects focused the on keeping the lines of the home geometric and continuous. Inside, “returns” and “jogs” are almost non-existent. The interior is accented by using raw concrete with warm white oak finishes to highlight the unique interior spaces. This philosophy continues to the exterior which utilizes concrete, architectural paneling and yellow cedar to accentuate the modern design.
The home is built on a slope with a significant portion of the southern face glazed to showcase an unobstructed view of Stanley Park. The layout of the Ultra Modern home is unconventional with the kitchen and daily living spaces located on the uppermost floor, and bedrooms on the lower floors. Using this non-traditional layout, the garage was able to be on the top floor where there is a route directly into the kitchen to drop off groceries.
The main floor has an open design concept, with a two way fireplace and a large kitchen island used to separate the rooms and create a sense of privacy as needed. The main floor also houses the adult’s retreat, with master bedroom, including ensuite and lounge area. The children’s room can be conveniently accessed via stairs or elevator to the lower level. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the house was the floating stairs, cantilevered off the architectural concrete wall. The structure of the home is largely concrete and steel with very little dimensional lumber used. “We were thrilled to be able to work on this ultra modern home, and to be recognized by the industry’s Ovation Awards, said Michael Upward,’ of Upward Construction. ‘The construction of this home presented many challenges, especially with the heavy use of architectural concrete, and reveals at floor level. The straight lines in the house reveal even the smallest imperfections, so framing tolerances had to be extremely tight.’
Certified Built Green with 2lb closed cell spray foam used throughout, the airtightness matched with in-floor radiant heat and the HRV unit ensure a very high level of comfort year-round. To view this project and other award-winning homes, check out www.ovationawards.ca.