West Coast Residential

Demonstrates how modernist traditions are being integrated into contemporary design, explains what the defining features of the West Coast mid-century vernacular were and asks whether it still exists today. Includes homes in Vancouver by B.C. Binning and Battersby Howat, Seattle by Paul Hayden Kirk and Eggleston/Farkas, Portland by John Yeon and William Tripp, Los Angeles by Maynard Lyndon and Barton Myers, and San Francisco by William Wurster and Stanley Saitowitz.

A landmark study of one of Canada' most important architectural movementsThe West Coast Modern House chronicles the development of Vancouver residential architecture from the 1940's through its continued influence on contemporary practice. The post-war era in Vancouver defined what has become popularly know as the 'West Coast Style'. Through the work of seminal figures such as BC Binning, Ned Pratt, Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth, Douglas Simpson, Barry Downs and Arthur Erickson, Vancouver architects won national awards and international recognition for their innovative house designs. This period is now seen as one of the most important in the cities architectural history. Focusing on the years from 1940 to the mid-1960's, The West Coast Modern House features over fifty examples of modern houses. The book is richly Illustrated by photographs taken at the time by noted architectural photographers Graham Warrington, Selwyn Pullan and John Fulker. Essays by Greg Bellerby, Jana Tyner and Chris Macdonald elaborate on the history and innovative design strategies of the early period, through to an examination of the ways modern architectural concerns are being utilized by contemporary practitioners. The West Coast Modern House enables the reader to come to a greater understanding of the significance of modern residential architecture on the west coast and the persistence and relevance of its innovative design, material and construction strategies.

West Coast Residentialdemonstrates how modernist traditions are being integrated into contemporary design. It also explains what were the defining features of the West Coast mid-century vernacular and asks whether it still exists today. Featured residences include the Battersby/Howat Gulf Island residence on Mayne Island, British Columbia; the Eggleston/Farkas 2001 Mathieson House in Seattle; John Yeon's 1939 Jorgensen House in Portland, Oregon; Stanley Saitowitz's 1990 Di Napoli Residence in Los Gatos, California; and Barton Myers' 1999 Barton Myers House and Studio in Montecito, California. This celebration of design is a must for art, architecture, and university bookstores, as well as museum shops.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings on the West Coast have not been thoroughly covered in print until now. Between 1909 and 1959, Wright designed a total of 38 structures up and down the West Coast, from Seattle to Southern California. These include well-known structures such as the Marin County Civic Center and Hollyhock House in Los Angeles, and many lesser-known gems such as the 1909 Stewart House near Santa Barbara. MARK ANTHONY WILSON is an architectural historian who has been writing and teaching about architecture for more than thirty-five years. He holds a B.A. in history from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in history and media from California State University, East Bay. He has written four previous books about architecture, including Julia Morgan: Architect of Beauty (Gibbs Smith, 2007) and Bernard Maybeck: Architect of Elegance (Gibbs Smith, 2011). His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, and elsewhere. Mark lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife, Ann, and his daughter, Elena. With more than 200 photographs by veteran architectural photographer Joel Puliatti and 50 archival images (many of which have never been seen in print before), this comprehensive survey of Wright’s West Coast legacy features background information on the clients’ relationships with Wright, including insights gleaned from correspondence with the original owners and interviews with many of the current owners.

Architects and designers are breaking new ground on the West Coast, incorporating tested ideas with modern technologies, materials, and concepts in thrilling and sustainable designs. This collection of more than 25 inspiring residences by such renowned western architects and interior designers as Ricardo and Victor Legorreta, Tom Kundig, Jim Jennings, Steven Ehrlich, Marmol Radziner, Aidlin Darling, Paul Wiseman, Terry Hunziker, and Gary Hutton showcases large and small homes that respond to the deserts, mountains, plains, and coastlines of the West. The sculptural forms and elegant interiors are urban and rural, open to the outdoors, and always contemporary, comfortable, and stylish.

Illustrated by a range of case studies of affordable housing options in Canada, this book examines the liveability and affordability of twenty-first-century residential architecture. Focussing on the architects’ and communities’ commitment to these housing programmes, as well as that of the private building sector, it stresses the importance of the context of the neighbourhoods in which they are placed, which are either in the process of urban transition or already gentrified. In doing so, the book shows how, and to what extent, twenty-first-century dwelling architecture developments can help to create an integrated sense of community, diminish social and demographic exclusions in a neighbourhood and incorporate people’s desires as to what their buildings should look like. This book shows that there are significant architectural projects that help to meet the needs and desires of low- to middle-income households as well as homeowners, and that gentrification does not necessarily lead to the displacement of low-income families and singles if housing policies such as those highlighted in this book are put into place. Moreover, the migration of the middle class can result in a healthy mix of classes out of which everyone can enjoy a peaceful and habitable coexistence.