Liminal House by McLeod Bovell

Inspired by the evolution of family life, Vancouver’s Liminal House celebrates journey, not destination. Channelling ideas of transition and continuous dialogue, design office McLeod Bovell establishes a sophisticated home of unique character.

The concept of Liminal House is informed by several factors. First, the residence sits between a West Vancouver neighbourhood and a stony seashore. Embedded in such a coastal environment, the building frequently encounters the harsh elements of wind, salt and rain, which test its structural integrity. Second, the children of Liminal House, now adults, will soon be leaving the residence, altering its functionality. As a result, the family home is conceived as occupying space between events, embodying adaptation and continuously interacting with the local climate.

Liminal House reveals itself as celebrating the state of transition, on both a conceptual and experiential level.

A collaborative design partnership, McLeod Bovell is well-suited to the work required by projects such as Liminal House. Social, spatial and environmental factors are interpreted as opportunities for innovation as opposed to creative restraints. With more than a decade of experience negotiating challenging sites and irregularly shaped land, the design office champions the art of understanding spaces in perspective: in contrast to reading a project as a series of flat ‘elevations,’ a house is considered from an accessible viewpoint moving through and around the building. Assessed in such a manner, Liminal House reveals itself as celebrating the state of transition, on both a conceptual and experiential level. In addition, the design approach illustrates the value of considered landscaping as the point of physical connection between home and coast.

Responding to the natural environment, Liminal House is constructed from concrete, stained Accoya wood and aluminium plate – durable materials that can withstand severe weather conditions. Between solid walls, the ever-changing outdoors animates the interiors, casting interplays of light and shadow. In turn, framed views dramatise the natural vistas, and a dark outdoor pool mirrors the ocean. Large glass panels also reflect images of the landscape, combining with courtyards and cantilevered volumes to further present Liminal House as the conveyor of change.

Between solid walls, the ever-changing outdoors animates the interiors, casting interplays of light and shadow.

Capturing the feeling of inhabiting a transitory place, Liminal House is distinguished from the typical dwellings of West Vancouver. McLeod Bovell resists stagnation, instead creating a home that orchestrates movement through space – an architectural complement to the natural changes and transitions of life.

Design by McLeod Bovell. Build by Hart Tipton Construction. Landscape design by Botanica Design.