Inside a Bowen Island home that blends with its site
The Pearson residence, Bowen Island, British Columbia, designed by James Tuer.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
'I’m always very sensitive to the environment that surrounds my architecture,' says James Tuer, who is also a landscape architect.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
Mr. Tuer's clients wanted something simple, modernist and with a small environmental footprint.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
Viewed from the west side, the house offers a series of terraced levels and rich interplay of materials.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
The main residence is L-shaped, and plays effectively with the tension between solidity and transparency. On the west side of the house, shoji screen like wood framed glazing opens up into a verandah that overlooks the garden, as well as distant views of snow capped Vancouver Island mountains.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
The east-facing side is earth sheltered by insulating bedrock, but its 18 metres of clerestory glazing allow light to penetrate deep into the residential space.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
The interior is anchored by a concrete wall that also offers passive cooling.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail
Materials are articulated by reveals between the fir post and beam structure and the concrete walls and flooring.Photo by Hadani Ditmars for The Globe and Mail