Tag: Vancouver

The Grand Tour – or Two

Casa Mia driveway
At the grand entrance to Casa Mia

There are so many wonderful house tours every year in the lower mainland – from stylish new townhomes, to thoughtfully renovated Vancouver specials to lovingly restored heritage homes, I never tire of seeing different ways of approaching common problems: narrow hallways, an awkward kitchen layout,drafty bedrooms, how to accommodate multi-generational families – someone has an solution!  Plus, the interaction with owners and knowledgeable hosts means tours are way better than a magazine, even on a rainy day! And occasionally, a tour a includes a gem like Casa Mia!

Like Minds, But Not-So-Changing Times

I picked up a copy of Vancouver Vanishes recently, what a great read!  Some of the buildings mentioned are familiar, others too late to know. The book is both discouraging and uplifting, with loving tales of home ownership and interesting people, plus John Atkin’s essay “Demolition: It Happens” puts some interesting historical context into today’s events. It’s troubling to think Vancouver’s demolition habit hasn’t changed much in the past 100 years.

vancouver-vanishes-cover-2

Heritage Conservation Areas (HCA’s)

There are definitely pros and cons to HCA’s, as the impassioned discussions in the lower mainland last year regarding Vancouver’s first HCA in Shaughnessy demonstrated.  However, the idea isn’t new, as I learned with a bit of research: a few years ago Ottawa created a Heritage Conservation District in Briarcliffe, a community of 23 mid-century modern homes, the latest of several in that city. BriarcliffeOther cities across Canada (including our neighbour Victoria) have done the same. There are certainly challenges to creating and keeping these areas as intended, even more so today as pressures to rezone and rebuild increase, but in my mind definitely worth the effort.

Sidenote:

Vancouver Heritage Foundation has a great resource page about the HCA: http://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/learn-with-us/understanding-the-heritage-action-plan/