A Bright and Spacious Home Surrounded by Forest and Natural Elements in Vancouver, Canada

The Butterfly House is a spacious contemporary home located in Vancouver, Canada. It was designed by Kevin Vallely Design, with a bright interior design, a contemporary wood stair and a large retractable glazed wall.

by Elena Jul 16, 2020 19 Images

The Butterfly House by Kevin Vallely Design

Sitting at the foot of Vancouver’s North Shore mountains the Butterfly House represents a regional adaptation to a modern aesthetic by incorporating a West Coast sensibility to its clean modern design.

The three-level home has its basement pushed completely below grade to maximize the allowable municipal buildable floor area while still displaying a modest footprint to the surrounding neighborhood.

The Butterfly House backs on the densely wooded ravine of North Vancouver’s Mosquito Creek and feels like a home in the rainforest. The residence is laid out in a simple open plan with a large, double height space defining the heart of the home. Windows facing the street are strategically placed to let the homeowners see out while preventing street goers from spying in while a large retractable glazed wall on the rear façade opens to take full advantage of the generous backyard beyond.

A large inverted roof defines the form of the building and gives the Butterfly House its unique architectural character. A green roof covers a large section of the first floor roof replacing what would typically be a large asphalt surface with a growing medium that is both visually desirable and environmentally sustainable.

The exterior of the Butterfly House is clad in clear-stained Western Red Cedar with bands of Douglas Fir for fascias and trim. Aluminum windows and roof fascia crisply complement the wood of the façade and gives the home a distinctly modern feel. A skylight runs the near full width of the roof and illuminates a contemporary wood stair and its flanking concrete wall support.

The home is built with traditional 2”x4” and 2”x6” wood frame construction throughout. Double glue laminated 8”x8” posts support a huge glulam beam that spans the entire width of the front entry. A series of 3”x10” rafters run atop the beam to support a flat roof and skylight that covers a walkway and a seating area.

The Butterfly House pays respect to the tenets of modern architecture while incorporating distinctly regional elements of a West Coast contemporary aesthetic.

Photos by: Kevin Vallely Design & Peter Powles