What a project, and what a set of clients! Mitch and Foz are two infectiously happy and chilled people with two young kids. They had purchased this 1970's Whistler cabin which had a huge lot, but the building itself needed a lot of TLC. Rather than knock down the building which is so common in Whistler, we set about planning to renovate the existing building and tie it into a new two storey modern warehouse / industrial extension. The zoning of the site allowed for an additional auxiliary building to the east of the site.
The new plans give a three bedroom rent-able suite, a two bedroom standalone rent-able building and a three bedroom primary residence. Tying the buildings together was tricky, but the use of standing seam metal and more industrial materials along with a small amount of warm wood, complements the traditional shapes of the existing cabin.
One of the main consideration with the primary residence was to create a space capable of displaying the couples growing modern / urban art collection. An equally important request was to have a space which could host large house parties and gatherings, as well as taking in the views of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains.
A steel moment frame was used for the new open plan extension to allow for a continuous free flowing space.
What was the brief? To retain the original structure and shape of the existing 1970's ski cabin and adding a modern extension to include a room for house parties, a master bedroom, garage and grand entrance. The two structures must be tied together visually and physically.
Who are the clients and what's interesting about them? The two Whistler locals had an extensive modern / urban art collection and were well known for their awesome parties. One of the key considerations was a main living room which could be also used for large gatherings into the small hours!
