Book review: Reside, Contemporary West Coast Houses

In Reside, Contemporary West Coast Houses, cultural historian Michael J. Prokopow explores the allure of what he coins the “BC Idiom” and the rationale behind the debate “What is it that makes British Columbian architecture unique?” as posited by the RAIC in 1972. Photographs of each house and a narrative describing the architects’ design process and determination transport the reader through four categories of housing typologies that define contemporary West Coast residential design, Prokopow documents 34 stunning bespoke homes designed by some of British Columbia’s distinguished architectural firms, situated within the region’s natural beauty of abundant lush forests, mountainous steep climbs, vast coastlines, and the urban context of the city of Vancouver – some locations Prokopow describes as unimaginable for home building.

Several narratives are explored in the book, including the evolution of contemporary West Coast design vernacular during the post-war years starting in 1940, which led to what Prokopow calls “the culture of house design” and “settler mindset” during a period of great architectural exploration. Influential factors of regionality, readily available materials, and a passion for modernist thinking prevailed. Design interventions that informed a new vision for house design in the region included international influences in Chinese, Japanese, and Nordic aesthetics characterized by a minimalistic style, wood and concrete construction, post-and-beam design, open space planning, and blurring lines between interior and exterior spaces. Indigenous wood architecture is also respectfully acknowledged as a key influencer and rightfully so, as Prokopow describes the West Coast vernacular as “culturally complex, aesthetically hybrid and arguably original in character.”

A love letter not just to the houses but the architects behind them, here Prokopow highlights their respect and awareness of the sensitive inter-relationship between the natural environment, form, materials and clarity concerning “place-making,” key factors that link to the geographic, climatic, and socio-economic realities of the region. Yet he also gives a balancing nod to acknowledging the impact of colonialism, economic privilege, and nationalism on “creativity and criticism” and the culture of house design during the post-war years, when the region was undergoing economic growth and the appeal to a West Coast lifestyle was not only achievable but highly romanticized and desired. Good design was elitist and represented only a small percentage of architects and their patrons who sustained this new house culture.

A beautiful book that successfully explains West Coast residential design as an architectural force and movement never seen in Canada before, intentionally or not Reside leaves the reader pondering what innovative design solutions are available that can respond better to the new realities of today’s need for affordable housing, place-making, and environmental stewardship.

Anna Stranks is principal of STUDIO A Design Collaborative and a professor at Humber College’s Bachelor of Interior Design program.