Eve Lazarus
Barry Downs architect designed his gorgeous West Coast Modern house in West Vancouver in 1979. He lived there until his death in July 2022 at 92.
Barry Downs house sits on top of a cliff 120 feet above West Vancouver’s Garrow Bay. The house is almost invisible from the busy street and built on multiple levels, with lots of glass that connects the indoors with the out.
I spent the afternoon with architect Peter Pratt at his home in the British Properties yesterday. Peter’s father Ned Pratt designed the house in the early 1950s and lived there for most of his life. You’ve likely never heard of Ned Pratt, I hadn’t until recently, and I find that really interesting because he may just be the most important architect to come out of Vancouver.
2895 Newmarket Drive, North Vancouver:
“Steps to Edgemont Village – exceptional location! This three-bedroom Hollingsworth designed rancher has incredible potential to renovate or build new on this 8050 sq. ft. lot. Classic post and beam style w/open living areas including incredible gardens, a large private rear patio off the family room featuring a built in BBQ and a pond.
Almost 40 years ago, Rosemary Eng and her husband Alan Merridew moved to Vancouver from Chicago to take up a job at the Province. They bought the 100-year-old North Vancouver house, raised their son Peter now 38, and as Rosemary prepares to pack up and leave, she has written the story of her house.
I got a call from Bobbi Spark yesterday. Bobbi is a former Hospice boss and runs a research and reporting company in Abbotsford.
The Southlands Community Association hired her to look at the issues flying around Casa Mia, the former Reifel-owned mansion on South West Marine Drive.
These days the Reifel’s are best known as the name behind the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Ladner, but at one time the family owned four breweries and two distilleries and made a fortune in rum running during US prohibition.
From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History
To the Deep Cove residents who were so enraged by this chunk of steel. Thank you. We love our tree.
I was walking my dog in Princess Park last week and came across this fabulous tree sculpture hidden in the forest.
The house on Somerset Street in North Vancouver was built in 1912 as a hunting lodge for Alvo von Alvensleben.
The story of Alvo von Alvensleben and the hunting lodge on Somerset appears in At Home with History: the secrets of Vancouver’s heritage houses:
A couple of weeks ago I was taking photos of this house on Somerset when Bob Findlay politely asked me what I was doing skulking around in his bushes.
A couple of years back I interviewed Charles Van Sandwyk in his Deep Cove cottage. Charles is an amazing artist and writer, probably more famous outside of Canada than in it, who creates these incredible paintings and etchings of magical Wind in the Willows-type characters. His cottage looks like it came straight from one of his paintings.
