By Sara Harowitz
December 1, 2014, The Huffington Post B.C.
These days, the Vancouver Special — that infamous, boxy, working class home design — is not exactly, well, special.
Take, for example, this one.
When D’Arcy Jones of D’Arcy Jones Architecture was hired to renovate this humble abode, he knew some major things needed to be changed. Built in 1981, the home was old enough that it required a major upgrade, but not so ancient that it needed to be torn down.
The roof, walls, ground floor, and framing, therefore, are all from the original house — a move that is as environmentally friendly as it is labour-strategic. But there were still some substantial modifications, proving that this outdated build doesn’t have to sacrifice design.
Sitting on a small 33-foot-wide lot, the new space’s look is starkly different than its predecessor. Read more…