By Jane Vorbrodt, Special to The Sun
The open floor plan, perfect for entertaining groups of all sizes, is warm and inviting. (Photo by Jane Vorbrodt.
Yuen Huang always knew he wanted to build his own home — a space to be enjoyed with wife Jia, three-year-old son Yii and his parents.
Such a home would also be a legacy to pass on to future generations.
Huang selected a site on a hilly area above Brentwood Mall in Burnaby, a quiet neighbourhood where his family had settled after arriving in Canada from Taiwan in 1978. The newly completed home now fits in easily with its neighbours — mainly well-maintained two-storey mid-century houses on wide lots — but it’s far from typical.
Painted a warm grey, it has a low metal roofline running horizontally across its face, a modern nod to traditional Asian architecture.
“When we were designing this house, we could have built a humongous big-box square with three floors,” Huang says. “But I said, don’t try to be the biggest and the baddest. You have to show some respect to the neighbourhood. Blend in, with class and quality.”
It’s clear from the outset that this is no ordinary home.
Step inside and a grand room reveals itself. Daylight streams in through windows that run along the highest part of the ceiling, stretching to 15 feet in spots. Sunlight creates geometric shapes on the walls, playfully referencing time of day and season.
The open floor plan, perfect for entertaining groups of all sizes, is warm and inviting.
Wherever possible, spaces were left open, except where privacy or acoustic separation were absolutely necessary. The study, for example, has a 10-foot-wide sliding door that can be left open when the room isn’t being used, to expand the family’s living space.
Since an expansive living area was a priority, decisions had to be made regarding other spaces.
“You can see that some of the bedrooms are not that big. Not the kind that you can put a couch in and what not,” Huang explains. “I wanted to have everybody out here in the main living area. I say, don’t hide in the bedroom. When you entertain here, you have this generous space.”
The family’s interest in architecture goes back generations. Huang’s grandfather was a prominent architect in Taiwan, and Huang’s father built a European-inspired family home in Taipei. Huang is a businessman; although not an architect, he has a strong appreciation for modern architecture and art.
Huang hired a local architect, Imu Chan of FSOARK, who worked within his design parameters. Among them: Huang’s wish that the home have good feng shui.
“We gave Imu quite a bit of flexibility, but one of the things that was important to us was feng shui,” he says. “We consulted with a local feng shui consultant, along with a Beijing feng shui consultant, and we passed on the info to Imu.”
The architect then interpreted the elements of the ancient Chinese practice to best suit the project.
To that end, the corridor flows continuously from all rooms and spaces, creating the perfect loop for young Yii to run laps around the house. The feng shui-inspired idea behind this circular passageway is to ensure that no stale energy becomes trapped.
A curved wall leading from the main living space to the bedroom area further encourages energies to circulate freely.
Central to the upper floor is a three-sided stone-clad gas fireplace. Here, the architect explored ideas of permanence and stability, inspired by both traditional Chinese buildings and a Western notion of how the hearth can represent the heart of a home.
According to architect Chan, the circle is a symbolic element in Chinese culture, which brings unity to the family.
In the centre of the home, a dramatic, circular skylight brings daylight into a luxury shower used by Yii. Large windows throughout the rooms were also installed with Yii in mind, given that they’re low enough for him to see out.
Those low windows also allow the whole family to better appreciate the exterior outlooks of the traditional Japanese-inspired gardens surrounding the house.
The lower floor accommodates a generous suite, separated from the rest of the home by an enormous pivoting door, seven feet wide by eight feet high.
On this level, a state-of-the-art media room is separated from the rest of the space with sliding floor-to-ceiling glass panels.
Huang, who frequently travels abroad for work, asked the architect to include extra sound separation between the upper and lower floors so that he could enjoy peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of family life.
Now that the house is complete, Huang is enjoying the gradual process of collecting art. One bedroom features a recent work by local artist Gordon Smith, while paintings by Nick Lepard can be found in the corridor and the study. “You know, a painting can actually change things, the feel of a space,” Huang says.
Of his new home, Huang takes a long-term view.
“It’s all an investment,” he says. “So pick something that will last and also maintains its value, and that has history, so that it can be passed along.
“I think that anything that we have will be good enough that we can pass it on to the next generation.”
Huang, who describes the process as “a great experience,” is now ready to pursue additional work in the basement alongside Chan — his architect, and now his friend.
According to architect Chan, the circle is a symbolic element in Chinese culture, which brings unity to the family.
In the centre of the home, a dramatic, circular skylight brings daylight into a luxury shower used by Yii. Large windows throughout the rooms were also installed with Yii in mind, given that they’re low enough for him to see out.
Those low windows also allow the whole family to better appreciate the exterior outlooks of the traditional Japanese-inspired gardens surrounding the house.
The lower floor accommodates a generous suite, separated from the rest of the home by an enormous pivoting door, seven feet wide by eight feet high.
On this level, a state-of-the-art media room is separated from the rest of the space with sliding floor-to-ceiling glass panels.
Huang, who frequently travels abroad for work, asked the architect to include extra sound separation between the upper and lower floors so that he could enjoy peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of family life.
Now that the house is complete, Huang is enjoying the gradual process of collecting art. One bedroom features a recent work by local artist Gordon Smith, while paintings by Nick Lepard can be found in the corridor and the study. “You know, a painting can actually change things, the feel of a space,” Huang says.
Of his new home, Huang takes a long-term view.
“It’s all an investment,” he says. “So pick something that will last and also maintains its value, and that has history, so that it can be passed along.
“I think that anything that we have will be good enough that we can pass it on to the next generation.”
Huang, who describes the process as “a great experience,” is now ready to pursue additional work in the basement alongside Chan — his architect, and now his friend.
![Huang house - rear exterior. (Photo by Imu Chan. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]](http://www.vancouversun.com/homes/cms/binary/10867846.jpg?size=620x400s "Huang house - rear exterior. (Photo by Imu Chan. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]")
![Huang house - living. (Photo by Jane Vorbrodt. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]](http://www.vancouversun.com/homes/cms/binary/10867845.jpg?size=620x400s "Huang house - living. (Photo by Jane Vorbrodt. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]")
![Huang house - kitchen. (Photo by Imu Chan. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]](http://www.vancouversun.com/homes/cms/binary/10867851.jpg?size=620x400s "Huang house - kitchen. (Photo by Imu Chan. To accompany story by Jane Vorbrodt for Striking Spaces/Westcoast Homes.) [PNG Merlin Archive]")
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