ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETEAcadia Street Residence
Address: 1665 Acadia Street, Vancouver, BC
Owner: Withheld on request
Architects: Bing Thom Architects
Structural Engineer: Fast & Epp
General Contractor: The Haebler Group
Ready-Mix Supplier: Ocean Construction Supplies Ltd.
With a serene pallet of architectural concrete, glass, wood and stone, the two-storey, 6,000 square foot house is set above a koi pond, forging a symbiotic relationship with the immediate landscape.
The extensive use of architectural concrete on the exterior walls expresses solidity, protection and tranquility, and provides the ideal framework for the large glazed areas that draw light and the private garden views into the house. On the interiors, architectural concrete has been used as a finish for the feature concrete walls, exposed structural columns, window surrounds, flooring and furniture.
The feature walls were cast as integral panels, complete with rigid insulation and the surfaces have been hand waxed after sealing, resulting in a silk like sheen and texture.
The project team chose to use a concrete mix with 50 per cent flyash for a lighter and warmer concrete, with the added benefits of sustainability, reduced efflorescence and cost savings.
The spatial experience is completed with cantilevered stairs that seem to float in place and a zinc-clad stressed skin roof rests on four principal columns that are masked in glass boxes where the building services are also contained.
With the outside welcomed inside, the effect is a serene living space juxtaposed with the subtleties of an edgy industrial look.
