We designed and built this brand new family home to feel like it's been a part of the neighbourhood for years. A modern home with a sophisticated palette, it’s wrapped in low maintenance natural materials designed to weather gently and enhance its character as time passes. This is a home that wholeheartedly embraces the natural rhythms of its environment. Interiors by Croma Design.
Questions and Answers
Who are the clients and what's interesting about them?
• A custom design/build project for an active, urban family with two kids.
• Owners have a passion for art and architecture.
What was the brief?
• “Make it Modern. Make it Comfortable. Make it Bright.”
• “Give us a functional Work of Art.”
• “Facilitate Indoor/Outdoor Living.”
• “Respect the natural rhythms of the site.”
What were the solutions?
• Use lots of high performance glass and opening walls to create physical and visual connections between house and site.
• Design the house around movement of the sun. Place windows, terraces, and sitting areas strategically so the family can “follow the sun” throughout the day.
• Create a modern home with a sophisticated palette, wrapped in low maintenance natural materials designed to weather gently and enhance its character as time passes.
• Respect the rhythms of the adjacent river, which floods periodically. The main floor is raised above the flood line and there’s no mechanical equipment in the basement. A prefab foundation wall system allows for easy cleanup and rehab should another flood ever occur.
What are the sustainability features?
• Prefabricated foundation walls were used because the house is in a flood zone.
• Rather than building a layered basement wall assembly, these prefab panels incorporate structure, insulation and mounting points for drywall in one seamless assembly.
• Should the basement flood again, it’s easy to strip the drywall and spray down the interior wall surfaces. There are no hidden spaces for silt to accumulate.
• Mech room on main was a space planning challenge. We created a service zone on the interior side yard so the rest of the floor plan could be open.
How is the project unique?
There’s simply no other house like this in Calgary. Our clients asked us to push the limits and together we have created a home that has already become iconic. It’s become a magnet for location scouts looking to use the home as a movie set.
