Eaves House: Contemporary Modern Living in West Vancouver

Nestled between a quiet residential neighborhood and a lush forested ravine in West Vancouver, Canada, the Eaves House by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses (2021) redefines modern residential design. Spanning 8,085 ft², this striking home capitalizes on its long, narrow, asymmetrical site, often described as a pan-handle shape, to create dramatic vistas of English Bay, the Vancouver skyline, and Stanley Park.

The design responds to local neighborhood guidelines, which favor subtle roof forms over bold volumetric expressions. The house is anchored by a hovering concrete plinth on the main floor, lifting the structure above the site’s auto-court and creating a sense of privacy. This plinth acts as a new “ground in the air,” strategically masking neighboring houses and the road while framing the panoramic views beyond.

Above the plinth, two broad, extruded roof eaves float effortlessly, serving a dual purpose: they obscure the suburban foreground while framing the breathtaking natural scenery. This architectural gesture turns everyday movement through the home into a cinematic experience, where each step reveals a “view behind view,” creating a dynamic interaction between interior and exterior spaces.

The home’s interior layout stretches along the length of the site, harmonizing with expansive east-facing outdoor terraces. These terraces blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor living, allowing spaces to expand seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. High-quality materials such as Blanco sinks, Caesarstone countertops, Element 4 windows, and Hakwood flooring enhance the home’s contemporary sophistication.

The street-level façade presents an unconventional approach, where traditional walls, floors, and windows are visually suppressed. Instead, the house is perceived as two floating planes, with the space between them opening a visual corridor that extends beyond the immediate surroundings. This innovative composition ensures both privacy and a continual connection to the natural and urban vistas, embodying the principles of modern West Coast architecture.

Constructed with precision by Postle Construction and engineered by Ennova Structural Engineers, the Eaves House stands as a testament to the seamless integration of architecture, landscape, and modern living. Every design element: structural, material, or spatial: has been carefully curated to maximize the relationship between form, site, and environment.

All photographs are works of  Ema Peter