Update: See the finished design

It’s happening!  Almost two years after declaring our desire to renovate a Vancouver Special, we have partnered with great new clients to convert this existing Vancouver Special in Vancouver’s Renfrew-Collingwood area, zoned RS-1, into a contemporary multigenerational home.  It is our aim to have it featured in the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s annual Vancouver Special Tour when construction is completed.  We are wrapping up on the measuring and zoning analysis, so next up is the fun part…. design!  We have not yet determined whether we will be adding to the 2 480SF home, or working within the existing floor area.  Whatever we choose to do will highlight the strengths and beauty of the iconic Vancouver Special design.  Check back to our blog for design images and updates as the project moves forward.

We had the privilege of speaking at BUILDEX 2014 last week, on the subject of ‘residentialism’ where Allison introduced this project for the first time, based on the theme of ‘shared’.  The renovated home will incorporate two generations immediately, with separate suites for the home owners and their parents, and will be flexible enough to accommodate the next generation as well, should the owners have children of their own.  With the cost of living and owning land so high in Vancouver, it is not uncommon to see a home shared amongst several generations.  We frequently encounter owners building or renovating with the intent of being able to house their parents as they become more dependent,  but we’ve also recently encountered another trend in ‘sharing’.  Parents are gifting their homes to their grown children, to help them get a step ahead in the real estate market, with the understanding that the two generations will share the home or land.  It’s an innovative strategy to make housing more affordable for the up and coming generations.

If you have a Vancouver Special and would like to renovate, let us know (contact) . We would love to help out!

Keep in mind: this year’s Vancouver Special Tour will be on April 26th, don’t miss out!

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