Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
Liminal House
On a site located between the suburban streets of West Vancouver and the rocky shores of the Pacific Ocean, Liminal House can be said to straddle land and sea — which is perfectly apt: Local architecture firm McLeod Bovell designed the home for a soon-to-be-empty-nester couple, clients in the middle of a major shift in living circumstances. The liminal nature of the design itself, therefore, has both symbolic and material significance. It reflects the family’s evolving needs by embodying the state of transition at a conceptual and experiential level. The firm has created a striking project, inside and out, via the “orchestration of movement through space,” as they say, “and in the moments between from and to.”
Inspired by a scenographic approach that can only be truly appreciated after having moved through and around it, the 700-square-metre home features courtyards, cantilevered volumes and extensions of landscaped surfaces onto floor areas. Its flowing floor plan abounds with uninhibited sightlines, interior courtyards, open passageways and floor-to-ceiling windows that invite the wind- swept grasses, lavender and other coastal plant life — not to mention the monumental sky — into its inner sanctum.
The house is constructed from concrete, aluminum plate and stained Accoya wood — “materials that can resist the battering effect of a shore environment.” And those hardy, honest surfaces make a strong impression on the expansive interiors. Stained black, an angular slab of Accoya ceiling contrasts with the light-toned oak millwork of the kitchen — which features a sweeping island that seats six — before it continues outdoors to partially cover the pool area just beyond ceiling-height glass doors. From dusk ’til dawn and season to season, the changing skies transform the elegant surfaces of the indoor spaces, making the external environment an integral part of the home. Even the office, with its wraparound work surface, enjoys a stunning view onto a covered courtyard of ferns and sinewy trees.
Team: Matthew McLeod and Lisa Bovell with Daan Murray and Daniel Ching
Local architecture firm McLeod Bovell designed the home for a soon-to-be-empty-nester couple, clients in the middle of a major shift in living circumstances.
