Photographer: Paul McCredie
This project comprises of two new homes, one is a larger house for the family of four and the other smaller for the grandmother. Set on a very narrow and steep site, close to the Brooklyn community shopping area, this project was the result of demolishing an existing dilapidated dwelling. They are energy-efficient houses with both a low impact on both the environment and neighbourhood and breathe new life into this previously unloved site.
The grandmother has the smaller house on the flat ground while the family keeps an eye on her from above. The steel and cedar forms hug the southern boundary while the roofs tilt forward and backward to catch sun and views as they step up the hill. The tilting roofs allow generosity and complexity to relatively modest-sized spaces.
The houses open up to the north as much as possible along the length of the site onto outdoor patios, a linear deck, and up to the terraced garden.