.076 Dunlop Residence

Perched at the peak of Burnaby North, Dunlop Residence is a study in restraint, proportion, and longevity. We design a 4,500 sf home for a young family’s return to Canada after a decade of living abroad. Based between Asia and Canada, the couple, their young daughter and Bolognese dog resettled in Vancouver at the onset of the pandemic, envisioning this project as their first permanent retreat and a multi-generational space.

The house registers itself as a series of horizontal lines. In the manner of traditional architecture, it tempers the elevation and embodies humility and repose at the summit. The projections shield the living spaces from the afternoon sun. Orchestrated between a sweeping canopy and projecting balcony are rectilinear forms that mirror the interior organization. Above, strip windows modulate light and privacy, while a vertical corner window marks the stairwell. Concrete steps and planted terraces lead its users toward the home through a measured ascent that grounds the building within a sloped terrain.

A palette of warm greys and light wood colours is used to envelope the house, flowing from exterior to the interior. The soft, neutral palette continues through a series of open and interconnected spaces. Spaces are simple, their dimensions generous, their proportions graceful, with a balance of horizontal and vertical spaces. A double-height atrium greets the visitors at the foyer, and the family spaces unfold beyond. The architecture anticipates both everyday rituals and moments of reunion with the extended family. Balancing refuge with openness, the home frames long views to the mountains as a counterpoint to the evolving skyline, emerging as a dwelling that is quiet yet confident.