Selected Works

Their family roots reach back over 100 years into Crescent Beach history. Intended as the family home for the seventh generation, this building not only needed to integrate with the historic architectural fabric of the tight-knit community, but it also had to last another 100 years. The design breaks new ground for the beach community by raising the main floor up above flood levels to ensure it can withstand major weather events and the future’s rising tides.

An uncomplicated roof was requirement number one. Previous custom build experience informed the client’s requests: no excessive and wasteful extra corners in the building footprint. Simplicity. Elegance. Symmetries and alignments. Use of the golden ratio whenever possible. Thoughtful spaces for their children. Secret doorways. Incorporating existing family furnishings. Natural light to counter our long grey winters. Functional, flowing spaces to nurture community gathering and hosting. And an effortless connection to the outdoors where we find a playful yet perfectly aligned swimming pool together with the pool pavilion. While the project graces nearly 9,000 square feet of area, every inch is rigorously considered to create a singular harmony.

The property’s compact size and extra-low building height constraints were the starting points for this cottage-style family home, blocks from the seashore. A comfortable and open-hearted atmosphere is at the centre of the design but a multitude of family passions (surfing, equestrian, healing arts) and accommodating a home-based business with visiting clients meant the floor plan needed to satisfy both the heart and mind. Respect for the neighbourhood’s small scale and seaside ’cottage’ roots inspired the home’s character details and approachable front porch. Crisp white paint brings a bright vitality to the timeless exterior building materials.

This family’s forever home first arrived on our drawing boards as sketches on graph paper created through years of dreaming. Radiating out from a central harvest table and monumental stone fireplace are ensuited bedrooms for each child, master on the main, and a sunny English basement. The great room and a pretty garden room have delightful views to the landscaped pool. A specially designed boat+RV garage, and pool house keep the property integrated and beautiful from every angle on this corner lot.

A sloped corner property with its predetermined driveway position and labyrinth of irregular no-build covenant areas and ancient trees called for a design that was both woven into the landscape, and celebrated its position as a prominent entry point to a sought after neighbourhood. Garages are tucked below grade and an annex studio offers ease of working from home. Strategic positioning makes the most of scarce sunlight on this shady lot while creating privacy from the double frontage. The corner library room was conceived as a warm glowing lantern landmark for passersby.

While the focus at Verité is classical, traditional buildings, this client arrived with a special vision. To further embrace and support their community the client requested a home that was able to accommodate large multi-generational gatherings, at times with 80 guests. The riverfront property mandated living space to be elevated over 3m above grade; an elevator makes the building accessible for all community members. Gatherings here are about more than entertaining. They are about human connection and fostering community across generations and families. Sacred geometry from their tradition informed the building layout, decoration, and orientation, together with the the sunset waterfront views.

“To be the most coveted guest rental in a World-Class resort destination” and booked solid — that was the aim for this custom guest house in the mountains of Whistler BC. Inspiration sprung from bygone forest ranger towers offering expansive bird’s eye views from a special perch above the fray. Cozy. Authentic. Refined rustic. Taking in the majesty of the mountains. This guest house ‘ranger tower’ concept was developed to offer four-season accommodations worthy of the world class resort at its feet.

Backing onto a lush green park, Belle Manor focuses its key spaces on the ground floor. A generous mud/laundry room gives ample space for the whole family including children busy with activities and the gear that comes with it. A purpose-built grand piano room with fireplace adjoins a jewel-like home office and great room. Upstairs, a triple-aspected flex room is the perfect spot for kids to gather with friends or to tuck a desk in a sunlit corner.

Priorities, values, and how we wish to live our lives come into sharp focus when designing petite homes. Pacifica, for a family and their dog Molly, was created to not only allow for expressive Italian traditional family cooking, but to also give breathing room for each to have their own space. For Verité, zoning constraints and a small footprint do not mean any less opportunity for charm and delight.

Simple but not easy. A full-scale interior renovation included peeling back the building to the timbers and excavating the foundation to improve the ground floor ceiling height without altering the building height outside. A brand new floor plan was created for four-season family vacationing. Carefully selected portions of solid wall replaced with energy-efficient glazing let in more light and mountain vistas, whilst keeping the charm & character in tact. Exterior decks were extended and refurbished, and a new hot-tub pavilion offers both privacy and jaw-dropping Whistler views.

NESTLED ON A SLEEPY AVENUE where children still play in the streets, the Heaton residence was conceived with every generation in mind. Two children’s bedrooms with a shared bathroom are tucked under the eaves upstairs, while the principal suite offers a gentle respite with its fireplace and french doors. Another en-suited bedroom means guests or a long-stay aunt has privacy.