Sustainable West 21st House in Vancouver, Canada

The West 21st House is a lovely contemporary residence in Canada, completed by design studio Frits de Vries. It is located in the Dunbar neighborhood of Vancouver, on a 42-wide, slightly elevated lot that affords beautiful views of the city core and the Pacific Spirit Park. The architects created outdoor gardens and patios at all levels, as the owners wanted a strong connection between the home and its surroundings.

The house was built by Natural Balance Home Builders, a company with vast experience in building nature-friendly homes. As the owners asked for a sustainable residence that would integrate green materials and systems, the house features ultra high efficiency windows oriented for passive use of the sun’s light and heat, solar water heating, solar heating/cooling system, heat recovery mechanism that permits the residence to work with low energy consumption, and carefully selected plumbing fixtures, lighting, and appliances that ensure low water and energy consumption.

The planters on the roof absorb heat and help reduce rainwater runoff. Inside the house, recycled materials dominate the scenery (including the millwork and the flooring), and the finishes are all low-emission or emissions-free. The decorative landscaping uses native plants that are tolerant to drought, and only reclaimed stone.

Photos by Lucas Finlay.