Comments on: Henry Switzer and his Shocking Pink House

By: Teresa Wood

Teresa Wood — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 03:00:00 +0000

In reply to Michael Cowan. Hi Michael, Henry Switzer was my grandfather. I was really young but remember your great uncle Peter. I just found all this information online. It is so wonderful to read about my grandfathers famous house.

By: Mona M

Mona M — Sat, 18 May 2024 13:39:46 +0000

In reply to Zoe Napier-Hemy. Was just thinking the same thing. Would have loved to have seen the inside.

By: Rory

Rory — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 18:40:23 +0000

I remember it well too. Seems clear to me that the “Home of the Future” (1957) in Disney’s World–3 years before Schwiter’s–was very important for Switzer, but on a more modest budget. only a few years later. The same plan, the same 4-spoke elevation and my guess is the same floor plan given the options, work. Switzer’s token shutters around the windows are nostalgic when you compare to the all plastic all modern Monsanto marvel. https://www.iconichouses.org/icons-at-risk/monsanto-house-of-the-future

By: Irene Canale

Irene Canale — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:35:00 +0000

I too was always thrilled to see that house during my first decade of life! Our family called it the Mushroom House 🍄. I was very perplexed when it disappeared and have often told my children about this string memory!

By: Bob Cole

Bob Cole — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 22:59:04 +0000

Thanks for the memories.
As Young boy, I often travelled with my parents from their resort at Sproat Lake via the Horseshie Bay Black Ball ferry then along the Upper Level highway to my Aunt and Uncle, Bonnie and John Melville’s (who also had a band and was the pianist) home on Grand Boulevard or to one of my dad’s other enterprises; The Hollyburn Grill, The Black Cat Cafe and the 2855 on West Broadway.
Seeing that ultra modern house was a highlight of the long car ride from the Island.

By: Jean-Francois Dube

Jean-Francois Dube — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:20:19 +0000

I lived in Bells Corners in Ottawa LOL!

By: John Leyland

John Leyland — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 23:30:48 +0000

There was a similar house in Disneyland and I believe he wanted to recreate it for himself in West Vancouver

By: Kent

Kent — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 23:17:49 +0000

I recall it was expropriated and torn down much earlier than 1971. I also remember a few other homes went with it when they widened the highway sometime between 1964 and 1967

By: Michael Cowan

Michael Cowan — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:34:14 +0000

Peter Cowan was my great uncle, and I remember going to the Switzer house as a young boy. Thanks so much for bringing back those memories.

By: Jan Luck

Jan Luck — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 12:50:37 +0000

I use to work @ the West Vancouver Ferry Terminal back in the 70’s….thanks for jogging my memory. I drove by the Switzer house everyday I worked. It was so futuristic looking for it’s time!!

By: Kevan

Kevan — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 06:30:39 +0000

I Think There May Have Been Another Very Similar House Near The Westview Shopping Centre On The South Side Of The Highway.

By: Ruthy

Ruthy — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 23:39:05 +0000

Wow! what a blast from the past we went by the helicopter house daily as we lived towards Horseshoe Bay. It was an amazing artistic accomplishment and I do remember when it was demolished it was very sad for the North Shore 😢
Thank you for posting

By: Karen Friend

Karen Friend — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 22:13:55 +0000

My dad worked with Henry at Marwell Construction. Our family went to their place often. The house certainly was strange inside and out. I called it the Jestons’ House.

By: Joanne Hume-Nigro

Joanne Hume-Nigro — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 21:19:48 +0000

I remember the house as we drove up Taylor Way to the Properties. I was a young gril and couldn’t understand why those wings (or arms) didn’t fall down. My Dad tried to explain what artchitects can do but I never really understood. Ha! Thank you for this walk down memory lane.

By: Angus McIntyre

Angus McIntyre — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 21:19:16 +0000

The view of the old Upper Levels Highway shows what a standard B.C. Department of Highways road looked like in 1966, even in an urban area. The centre double line is painted white instead of yellow, and the shoulder is made of crushed gravel. Passing lane westbound, single lane eastbound.

By: Mary priebe

Mary priebe — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 19:26:57 +0000

I remember it as the Switzer House!

By: Sue Kohler

Sue Kohler — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 18:26:47 +0000

YES! One of my favorite memories from my childhood. We lived in the Properties and often tried to talk Mum into taking a detour off Taylor Way to drive past the house because it was so unique. Sometimes she caved in to our requests and detoured but then we had to be on our best behavior for the rest of the day. I was so sad to see it torn down to widen the Upper Levels Highway.

By: kelvin Hoyle

kelvin Hoyle — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 18:07:42 +0000

So interesting.

By: Lisa Ireton

Lisa Ireton — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 18:05:58 +0000

I loved that house. I made a clay “sculpture” of it with a giant rabbit in front of it for fathers’ day when I was in kindergarten, and then made a balsa wood model of it in grade 4 or 5 for an art class project. So sad it got torn down.

By: Jonathan Walford

Jonathan Walford — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 17:16:47 +0000

It was expropriated in 1971, but was it torn down right away? I might have false memory, but I could swear it was still standing during the summer of 1972 before we moved away from Vancouver for a few years. When we returned in 1975 I was devastated to see it was gone… I also recall the car parked under one of the wings was also pink to match the house… but was that false memory too???