Do British Columbians spend enough on architecture?
As the real estate market on Vancouver Island continues to escalate, there are many new homes being erected that reach the million-dollar milestone while looking like they came from a cookie cutters. Waterfront homes built to maximize the ocean views for their occupants often afford a banal blankness of glass and featureless wall to the viewer looking from the water.
The problem is that it’s getting easy to reach the million-dollar mark without spending a cent on an architect. The land itself is expensive, but there are considerable site development costs that increase in proportion to the remoteness of the property.
“Excavation, grading, plumbing, sewage and access to utilities can become quite costly,” says Neil Morie, a member of the Architectural Institute of B.C. in practice on Salt Spring Island. “Also, upscale homes in rural areas can see general construction costs approaching $200 per square foot.”
Small wonder many prospective home owner/builders regard the hiring of an architect to make their home aesthetically appealing an unnecessary add-on.
Nanaimo architect Dave Poiron says that customers here are not spending anything like the amounts that they should on design (and as they do in many other countries). “Instead of spending approximately 10 percent of their budget on architects, wealthy home builders in Canada budget only about 1 percent.
“This meager amount minimizes what an architect can produce and diminishes the value of the finished product,” says Poiron, “and ultimately the quality of projects is poor compared with those in other countries.”.
“Bringing in world-class star architects adds a definite value to projects,” says developer Doug Bromage, president of the Nanaimo Home Builders Association. “It’s a value that can be measured in dollars and artistic value that goes far beyond the functional reality of a home. It’s an actual experience to visit or live in these homes.”
When money is spent on design, it is likely to fall loosely within what is called the West Coast or the Pacific North West Style. Architects see these homes as an opportunity to produce designs on the cutting edge of style and function.
Modern lines are combined with the influences of many different cultures: everything from historic log cabins to Swiss chalets with steeply-pitched roofs, or feng shui-inspired Asian detailing. Often they are built on the sides of mountains or ocean cliffs.
“West Coast style is enriching in experience, well-executed in natural materials, and environmentally sensitive,” says Morie, who is identified as a practitioner of “Pacific Northwest Regional Architecture” on a blog site of that name.
Poiron doesn’t really believe that there’s a particular West Coast style.
“These custom-designed homes have modern influences from other cultures,” he explains, “and there is more focus on materials like wood and glass and designs that reflect particular skills of the local craftsmen who build these homes.”
All good architects, he says, begin with the home site and envision ways to merge a home into that space without detracting from the unique beauty of the natural surroundings. Most important is taking advantage of the view with open floor plans, high ceilings, and lots of glass. Large windows are key as they add to the openness and overall experience, bringing the outdoors in.
Going green is also very popular with homeowners. Modern insulation techniques, energy saving/producing technology, and the use of recycled building materials are just some of the ways these homes are ecologically friendly. Architects design these homes with exposed organic elements like raw wood and stone from local quarries to complete the look and feel of a home that blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings.
“Architects and their designs are fundamentally important to our world,” says Bromage, who was trained as an architect. “They must build with the environment rather than fighting it and must balance environmental sensitivity with practical reality.” This is especially true on Vancouver Island where homes begin with high-priced lots on varied and dramatic terrains.
Many architects, like Frank Gehry, perhaps the most famous contemporary architect, believe they need to be “parental,”essentially telling their clients what they really want. Others believe they should attempt to fit their clients’ wishes into a particular site.
“I believe it’s a shared relationship, says Morie. “The architect begins with a home site and the customer’s requirements and artfully merges them, adding value to a project by interpreting their clients’ wishes.”
What is a million-dollar home? Primarily, it’s a home that can command that price. But beyond that, it’s a home that blends with a unique environment, providing form and function, allowing indoor/outdoor interaction and an experience of privilege for its inhabitants.BE
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