Nanton House

Nanton House sits on a steeply sloping corner site beside Vancouver’s Arbutus Greenway. Designed for a multi-generational family, the home is organized around a sequence of broad terraces that step with the grade, extend interior life outdoors, and open to sweeping views of the western horizon.

These terraces act as both living platforms and massing devices, breaking down the scale of a large home on a prominent site. From the street, they reduce the apparent height; from the rear yard, they cascade into the landscape. Within, corridors follow the same east–west rhythm, guiding movement toward the light and view. A four-storey stair and elevator tower anchors the eastern edge, tying each level back into this stepped order.

Materiality strengthens the sense of depth and layering. Brick wraps the home in a textured surface that captures Vancouver’s shifting weather, while black metal frames project from terraces and windows to register light and shadow. Together, these elements amplify the play between solidity and openness that the terraces establish.

Arrival is also shaped by the site. A main entry, set low beneath a green roof, leads guests into the house through the garden, while an upper bridge provides direct access for tutors, relatives, or late arrivals without crossing the central spaces. Both routes reinforce the architecture’s dual character: a landmark presence on the Greenway, and a family home oriented toward sunsets and slope.

Collaborator - Weidemann Architectural
Photography - Andrew Latreille