CHOSUN
Situated on the south facing slopes of West Vancouver the Chosun residence pays homage to the tenets of modern architecture while incorporating distinctly regional elements of exposed wood and timber to create a clean, contemporary West Coast aesthetic.
The project was designed by Kevin while working as an associate at the practice of Kallweit Graham Architecture. The three-level home has its basement strategically located fully below grade to maximize allowable floor area while still displaying a modest footprint to the surrounding neighbourhood. The home is laid out on a simple open plan with the key day-to-day activity areas of kitchen, living and dining rooms nestled around a large bluestone chimney. The chimney is a primary vertical element that visually anchors the building to the site and constitutes the heart of the home.
The roof of the main floor is composed of a tongue and groove fir deck supported by exposed 3x10 Douglas Fir rafters and extends itself outwards into the surrounding landscape. Large planes of floor-to-ceiling glass capture views of ocean and mountains to the south and allow for a seamless integration between the interior and exterior space.
The home is built with both post and beam and traditional 2”x6” wood frame construction. Paired steel channel beams and columns are left exposed - as are wood rafters and beams - illustrating a belief that the ‘bones’ of a building can often be the most beautiful and expressive part of it.
The Chosun residence represents a regional adaptation to a modern aesthetic that allows it to straddle the seemingly incongruous worlds of a big city metropolis and rugged mountain landscape.
