Real eState

See the unique North Vancouver house a couple saved from demolition

Published

1 year ago

June 21, 2023

805 Forest Hills Dr. in North Vancouver is a 1,400-square foot home designed by architect Fred Hollingsworth and built in the 1950s. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Realtor Trent Rodney has a knack for selling West Coast modern homes that were built in the 1950s and ’60s.

Sometimes he gives them flashy nicknames, like “the Starship House” or “the Cathedral House.” Other times, he plays up the architect or builder, such as Arthur Erickson, Ron Thom or Bob Lewis.

But one of his most recent emails was different. It was headlined “Demolition Bait (Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home in North Vancouver).”

He sent it out to 10,000 people on his database of West Coast modern aficionados. The goal: To save a small house on a big lot in North Van.

“Since it’s on a corner lot on Forest Hills Drive, one of the best streets, and is close to Edgemont Village, this is prime developer bait,” said Rodney.

In this case, the 9,660 square foot lot was occupied by a 1,363 sq. ft house. The zoning allowed for a new structure up to 5,500 sq. ft. The price: $2.3 million.

What made this house special is it was designed by the local West Coast modern architect Fred Hollingsworth as part of his “Flying Arrow” series in 1950. Rodney said only six Flying Arrows were built; this could be the only one left.

Hollingsworth had studied with architectural legend Wright in Arizona, who had an ambitious plan to build cheap but cool “Usonian” houses for the masses. Hollingsworth came back to B.C. and started designing his own homes for the middle or working class, called Neoteric or Flying Arrow houses. The Neoterics had flat roofs, the Flying Arrows had pitched roofs.

The houses were small but felt much bigger because they had an open-concept and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“The intention when it was built was to be indoor-outdoor living, living as much outdoors as you do inside,” said Rodney. “So they cared more about access to light, access to nature.”

arrow truss — The Flying Arrow home was designed with ‘scissor truss’ beams and clerestory windows. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

The Flying Arrow homes had high angled ceilings (probably 15 feet in points) and a stylish “scissor truss” system of wooden beams that held up the roof.

Hollingsworth designs also featured brick walls, which gave them warmth, and large fireplaces that tended to be the architectural showpiece of the home.

In this case, the fireplace was five feet high and three feet wide. In a 1952 Western Living magazine story on the house, it said the original owner, Jim Atkins, burnt three-foot-wide logs in the fireplace.

“This was more of a forested lot, back in the day,” said Rodney. “The owner would go out and cut their own logs for the fireplace.”

The lot still has plenty of green space, including a handful of seven-storey-tall Douglas firs. The lot also feels very private, because the big windows are at the back, the front has smaller windows that are at eye level.

“I like to say it’s ‘discreet from the street,’ ” said Rodney.

But the house was designed for the postwar era, when developers were building modest homes for people with a limited budget. The house has only two bedrooms, one bathroom and has a galley kitchen, which is out-of-step with the large contemporary homes in the neighbourhood.

Some owners of Hollingsworth homes expand them — there is a Hollingsworth next door where they added a second floor. But builders tend to knock small houses like this down and build as big as the zoning allows.

In this case, though, the house quickly sold for the asking price to a couple who loved the house. In fact, they had just sold a Hollingsworth Neoteric house they’d lived in for 18 years.

“What we like about West Coast modern (homes) generally is the welcoming feeling one gets in open concept living spaces,” Sue-Ann and Chris Gilmour said by email. “There is something calming about a home where there are no front steps. As you come in from outside, the transition is smooth and welcoming. The vaulted ceilings with Clerestory lights gives you the feeling of a big space, even though the square footage is modest.

“There is a sense that you’re within a very tangible and thoughtfully designed piece of art, made specifically to ground its occupants to the land and trees that surround it.”

The Gilmours did an addition to their first Hollingworth house to make room for their family of four. Their two boys have grown up and moved out, and they were looking for something smaller.

“There are a few original Neoterics left, but no one wants to sell,” said the Gilmours. “The Flying Arrow was a perfect match for us.”

Arrow outside — The Flying Arrow from the outside. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Arrow back — The house has a big back deck for indoor outdoor living. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Arrow fireplace — Fred Hollingsworth was known for his unusual fireplaces. In this case, it’s five feet high and four feet wide. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Arrow dining — The home is largely original, but at some point the original built-in dining table was replaced with a larger one. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Arrow hallway — Even the hallway is architecturally interesting. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

sky bungalow ad — In 1950, North Vancouver architect Fred Hollingsworth designed a Sky Bungalow that was displayed by the Hudson’s Bay store in Downtown Vancouver. From the March 14, 1950, Vancouver Province.

Story on architect Fred Hollingsworth in the Fen. 15, 1949, Vancouver Province. He didn’t have an architecture degree at the time, so he was dubbed a ‘designer.’

Holling cut — Story on Capilano Highlands development in North Vancouver in the Jan. 2, 1949, Vancouver Province, which featured many designs by Fred Hollingsworth.

Architect Fred Hollingsworth and his wife, Phyllis, in their North Vancouver home that Fred designed in 2014. Photo by Ward Perrin /Vancouver Sun

Source link

Real eState

Homelessness: Tiny home village to open next week in Halifax suburb

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.

Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.

Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.

The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.

Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.

They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.

The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

Source link

Real eState

Here are some facts about British Columbia’s housing market

Published

3 weeks ago

October 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.

Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.

Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500

Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438

Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103

Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359

Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent

How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

Source link

Real eState

B.C. voters face atmospheric river with heavy rain, high winds on election day

Published

3 weeks ago

October 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.

Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.

The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.

Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.

More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.

Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.

An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

Source link