Nestled in Vancouver's historic Shaughnessy neighborhood, the landscape design of this unique heritage property pays homage to the traditional charm of the home and neighborhood, while incorporating modern amenities for the contemporary family. Paul Sangha Creative collaborated with the clients and architect to establish a seamless flow between the interior and exterior, which was achieved by the creation of a transformative central spine that extends from the heritage house to the trellis structure, garage, and pool house.
The concept aimed to create a series of diverse zones, including formal plantings that align with the neighborhood's heritage design guidelines and a sports court area and pavilion for active leisure, a trellised walkway connecting the verandah to the garage, a poolside lounge, and a walkway leading to a play structure and the pool house, all nestled within a verdant and lush landscape.
Inspired by the colors of the Pacific Northwest’s lakes and oceans, the material palette was selected to convey a sense of harmony and tranquility. The existing greenery is preserved and enhanced with a variety of indigenous plants, embracing rewilding principles whenever possible to minimize water consumption, pesticide use, and the need for fertilizers, while also promoting ecological balance.
Remaining true to the traditional four-square typology of the house, the U-shaped driveway was retained and enhanced with layered plantings, transforming it into a pedestrian-oriented space where vehicles took a secondary role. At the entrance, four paperbark maples are strategically placed, forming a threshold that links to the street and offers a captivating walking experience. Further in, a meandering path serves as a nature walk that stich together the property’s unique zones. Natural boulders are utilized as retention, minimizing the use of hard-edged interventions. An infinity-edge swimming pool is thoughtfully situated, forming a continuous desire line with the window openings that appear on each level of the house. Locally-quarried stone from Squamish was artfully carved to form a firepit and hot tub, providing a touch of local craftsmanship.
This unique property presented its challenges, such as significant grade changes and stormwater management issues. Additionally, the project unfolded using a phased approach and required meticulous planning among all consultants, as the clients were living in the home during landscape construction.
To address the substantial grade changes from the front to the rear yard, we elevated and relocated the garage away from the rear yard's service right-of-way, resulting in a more gradual driveway grade for the play court. Program areas were terraced using clusters of locally-quarried boulder skins and short runs of stairs nestled with plantings to reduce the perceived grade changes.
Additionally, stormwater runoff was managed by prioritizing the replacement of existing hard surfaces with permeable paving and planting, maintaining existing mature plantings, and adding 22 additional trees to the existing canopy. Stormwater infiltration tanks were also installed, minimizing the need for active watering.
Team:
Landscape Architect: Paul Sangha Creative - Paul Sangha, Vikas Tanwar
Architect: Measured Architecture - Clinton Cuddington, Piers Cunnington
General Contractor: Powers Construction
Landscape Contractor: Trillium Landscaping
Photography: Ema Peter Photography
Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: Painted Fir Siding to match existing historic siding above Hardy Island Granite Base (Brand)
2. Flooring: Re-finishing existing Maple floor, no brand
3. Doors: Exterior Doors – Refinished Historic Door and interiors – refinished
historic doors – No brand
4. Windows: Refinished historic windows for existing and Sashmaster Fir Windows, double glazed for new -Rear lantern glazing Stella Glass Assemblies
5. Interior lighting: Flos, Lightform, Moooi
6. Interior furniture: Inform Interiors, Mooi
