Architecture Wednesday: Ridge House

It’s called Ridge House, but the architect designed it to look like it was floating over a ridge on Pender Island, in British Columbia.

This three-bedroom, two bathroom house, at 2500, is not too big, nor is it too small, for either a permanent home or a weekend getaway. And what a way to spend your days, and nights, with those views, from each and every room.

Oh yeah, and it’s for sale; it was priced at $2.17 million but has recently been reduced to $1.987 million.

A steal, I say.

HomeDSGN

Architecture Wednesday: Lakecrest Residence

Lakecrest Residence sits atop a rocky cliff above a lake in Whistler, British Columbia. The 5000 square foot home is surrounded by panoramic views of mountains, lake and forest, making it a difficult build, with a spectacular outcome.

The social areas—living room, kitchen, dining area and media rooms — are organized along a spacious "circulation spine" that creates gathering spaces facing out to the views; the spine terminates at the Great Room which cantilevers over the existing steep terrain and opens up to the views in all directions. 

The private areas — bedrooms and baths — are located in a separate wing that open onto a more private courtyard and backyard.

It’s not a huge home, and it’s not the most high-end with the finishes, but when you open your eyes in the morning and see those views, well, it’s all worth it.

HomeDSGN

Architecture Wednesday: The Pender Harbour House .... But First

We are headed off for California to visit my sister--she's undergoing chemo for her cancer--and having a mini-family reunion-slash-wedding reception for my niece Brigitte, who just got married.

I have some things planned, and some things re-planned, but I won't be back in the blog-o-sphere for about a week or so.

Play nice, have fun.

XOXO

Bob and Carlos

And now .... Pender Harbor House ... and No, this is not where we're going. Damndamndamn!

The Pender Harbour House in, where else, Pender Harbour, British Columbia, Canada, sits on a rocky lakeside, surrounded by a lush forest, but teeming on the inside with luxury and comfort and stunning views.

The house sits on 21 acres with over a 1,000 feet of natural shoreline and offers total privacy and seclusion. The masterful architecture and luxury building materials make this a world-class living experience. 

Exposed architectural reinforced concrete walls are combined with Pennsylvania Blue Stone floors and Douglas Fir beams inside to create a delicate warmth to host an over 6,600 sq.ft main residence with 6 fully en-suited bedrooms. Each bedroom enjoys total privacy, 180-degree breathtaking views and its own access outdoors. 

The grounds also host a 630 sq.ft boat house guest suite and a 1,240 sq.ft. self contained caretaker’s residence. Each of these spaces were mindfully designed to embrace the natural beauty surrounding this extraordinary property.

The open plan kitchen, living and dining room extend outside through bi-fold doors to meld the indoor/outdoor ambience with a heated patio, fire pit and in ground hot tub at water’s edge. 

The exterior finish includes a mix of zinc and planted green roof with harvested cedar siding and stone veneer walls, carefully considered to blend with the West Coast environment and its spectacular elements. 

A sensational home with top of the line technical details: Crestron Smart Home, Geothermal heating and cooling and private water supply mark today’s standards.

And it’s for sale for just $20,000,000.

source

Robin Tomlin Finally Gets An Apology For A Forty-Two Year Old Slur

Robin Tomlin, of British Columbia, has received a letter of apology from the North Vancouver School District for a homophobic slur that was printed in his high school yearbook.

Forty-two years ago,

The letter, signed by the district’s superintendent of schools, says, “I am writing to formally provide you with a sincere apology on behalf of the entire North Vancouver School District.”

Tomlin says he's been haunted for years after his high school yearbook committee printed the word "fag" next to his picture in the 1970 Argyle Secondary School yearbook. That would be disgusting, in any case, but Tomlin isn’t gay, and yet, after that slur, he was subjected to near constant bullying in school. He didn’t even attend his school prom out of fear of being beaten up, and he eventually moved out of the area to start a new life.

Tomlin he tried to put the incident behind him, and was successful; in fact, he tried for several years to have the school district print a replacement page for the copies in its library, but his request fell on deaf ears until he hired an attorney. That was when the school sent him an email saying they regretted the incident.

Forty-two years later.

Today, Robin Tomlin is dying of terminal liver disease and he wants what he calls a sincere apology: "I want a face-to-face apology. They could write anything they want in an email and send it to me. It doesn't mean as much."

And he may get that last wish. Superintendent Lewis has offered to arrange a private meeting “to provide an apology in person” but before that happens, some details still need to be worked out.

Tomlin had asked the school district to pay his travel expenses, but a district spokesperson says the district can't afford to do that. So, Robin Tomlin will pay his own way back home to finally get that long-overdue apology.

Forty-two years later.

source

Turn Down The Music

I've had bad neighbors. Neighbors who stomped across their floor--my ceiling--at all hours of the night; played loud music early, early, in the morning,. Parked in my space. But I think the Harrison family of Vancouver, British Columbia, are the worst neighbors EVER!

Sorry. Joan Crawford moment.

The Harrisons played annoyingly loud music at all hours.

The Harrions summoned the cops with false accusations.

The Harrisons tried to instigate fist fights.

The Harrisons hurled slurs.

The Harrisons let the air out of their neighbor's car tires.

The Harrisons threatened to kill their neighbor's cat.

And more.

That was just what happened between June 2006 and October 2008.

Vancouver Justice Doug Halfyard was appalled and scolded Patricia and Alexander Harrison for tormenting their neighbors, who live in the same upscale four-unit complex, and ordered them to pay their neighbors $15,000.00--about $13,000 US.

The neighbors first went to court against the Harrisons in October 2007, and the harassment intensified over the next year.

Oh yeah, in case you didn't get it, the neighbors are gay.

Rod Boggs and Bill Hart, in their 50s and together for 30 years, paid $1 million in May 2006 for a three-floor suite in Brighouse Manor; the Harrisons have lived there for more than 20 years. Boggs and Hart say that from the moment they arrived, the Harrisons launched a campaign to get rid of them because “gays weren’t welcome at Brighouse.”

The Harrisons, of course, denied it all.

But the judge wrote: “I have concluded that Mr. Harrison was not a credible witness. I have grave concerns about his honesty, and I would not accept his testimony on the disputed points, unless I was satisfied that his evidence was confirmed by other independent and reliable evidence.”

And he didn't think too highly of the missus, either: “I would be reluctant to accept her testimony on any important fact in dispute, without confirmatory evidence.” He went on to quote Mrs. Harrison as saying to Boggs and Hart, “You two have ruined this place. It is disgusting. And so are you. I have so much on you....You are going to be very sorry. And I am sending it all to MacDonald Realty [Hart’s employer].”

Hart testified he responded in kind calling her “a bitch,” a “liar” and “disgusting,” but that he never called her "fat"....... to her face.

Justice Halfyard said it was clear the two men were seriously upset and deeply offended by what he described as malicious and intolerable conduct, but did not award greater damages because “to a limited extent” the men had provoked the Harrisons.

Apparently, before the conflict descended to threats of pet murder and vandalism, Boggs and Hart instigated the removal of the Harrisons’ basketball hoop, their trampoline, and the glass sound barrier, flower pots and furniture from the front veranda. The Harrisons were forced to reduce the size of their back deck, to stop burning wood in their fireplace and to provide adult supervision for their children in the pool.

Boggs and Hart were, maybe, a little too pissy and prissy for the neighbors, but seriously, threatening to kill an animal because you have to remove a basketball hoop? And these are the adults.

Or so they say.