Bohlin Cywinski Jackson - Roxboro Residence
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Roxboro Residence

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

House  /  Completed
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Situated in a dense neighborhood in the city of Calgary, this home is the primary residence for a young family of Norwegian descent. Bordered on the north by the Elbow River and on the south by Roxboro Road, the owners desired a Modernist home that would maintain their privacy from the busy neighborhood as well as open to views of the river and city.

Raised above the street to respect a 100-year floodplain, the house is composed of three elements: a two-story entry hall, a one-story living pavilion to the east, and a cantilevered wood box to the west enclosing the sleeping and bathing spaces.

Steel frames extend through the house to form a double-height entry hall framing a view of the downtown skyline and separating the living pavilion from the sleeping and bath spaces. Cedar slats screen the private spaces while aluminum louvers at the second level glazing shade the interior. A steel and wood stair leads to the second level bedrooms, offering views of downtown Calgary and the pavilion’s planted roof.

The living room is sheltered from the busy street by a translucent glass screen and a grove of aspen trees. The dining room, kitchen and family room are arranged along the north side of the pavilion overlooking a lit view of the garden and river. A steel spine runs the length of the pavilion, framing a roof monitor that brings light and ventilation into the center of the house. Two fireplaces, a stair to the lower level and cabinets for storage are located within the exposed structure.

Cost efficiencies were achieved through using building systems that could be shop-fabricated and brought to the site to be erected or installed quickly. The primary structural system is a concrete foundation with exposed steel framing forming the entry hall and pavilion. Light-frame wood structure was used for the two-story volume.

The largely transparent pavilion contrasts with the two-story cedar-clad volume enclosing the sleeping and bathing spaces to the west. Due to local regulations that limit windows looking into a neighboring property, openings on the west elevation become angled cuts in the volume, capturing views while maintaining privacy.

Sustainable design strategies are integrated with the architecture: deep overhangs and horizontal louvers shade the interior from the summer sun, the pavilion’s planted roof mitigates storm water runoff and photovoltaic panels are used to generate hot water. Operable windows are carefully placed to encourage natural ventilation.

Rigorous in detail and bold in spirit, the house is a pavilion along the river offering a place for retreat from the busy city and a closer connection to the natural world.

Credits

 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
 Confidential
 07/2014
 533 mq
 Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
 Ray Calabro FAIA, Peter Bohlin FAIA, Robert Miller FAIA, Jeremy Evard AIA, Christian Kittelson AIA
 HR Pacific
 Halcrow Yolles (Structural Engineer), Brian Hood Lighting Design (Lighting Designer)
 Matthew Millman

Curriculum

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is noted for elegant and humane design, ranging from modest houses to large academic, civic, cultural, commercial, and corporate buildings. Our principals and staff are deeply committed to active collaboration with our clients, emphasizing thorough research and analysis of each situation’s particular human, technical, and economic circumstances. The result is exceptional architecture that resonates within its place.

Since 1965, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has received more than 625 regional, national, and international design awards, including three Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). We are also the recipients of the AIA Architecture Firm Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed upon an architectural practice by the Institute. In addition, our founding principal, Peter Bohlin, was awarded the AIA Gold Medal, the highest honor an individual American architect can receive.

http://www.bcj.com


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