On the Market: Vancouver Island, BC
05/01/2008
LOCATION: 67 acres in Metchosin, a rural area on Vancouver Island, BC.BACKGROUND: Completed in 2006 by Vancouver-based architect Marko Simcic, the home took four years to build and earned the Canadian Architect Award in 2003 for its conceptual design. Current owners and Simcic insisted the home not interfere, but enhance, the natural landscape and nearby indigenous Garry oak grove. As a result, the grove was preserved and the Canyon River is not only a central feature of the home—it runs directly through two portions of it—but also provides hydrothermal radiant heating and cooling for the residence. Canadian artist Emily Carr is thought to have spent time sketching and painting on the picturesque property.
STATS: Spread over 8,300 square
feet, the five-bedroom residence was built primarily using concrete. The design
combines white oak paneling and glass—silk-screened to match the adjacent
oak—walls, which help shape a path for the Canyon River. The home features wenge
flooring and travertine marble walls throughout the main living area, a
high-tech air purification system, Cat 5 wiring for entertainment, lighting and
communication platforms, a modern kitchen, game room and a covered pool and spa
area. An additional two-bedroom, two-bathroom guesthouse is located on the
property along with a tennis court, a full workshop, a boathouse and 1,400
linear feet of water-
front property.
WHAT SETS IT APART: "The home was built with the property’s landscape in mind," says agent Robert Milloy of Sotheby’s International Realty. "Everything from the design to the positioning of the home was carefully planned so as not to disturb the land and its indigenous plants."
MARKET INQUIRIES: $24 million CAD (about $24.1 million). Robert Milloy, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, 250.881.4737, www.sothebysrealty.ca