Georgie-nominated ‘C House’ rich with eye-catching design
For any homebuilder in B.C., being nominated for a Georgie Award is a huge honour, as Ian Fung and Janvin Lowe, the principal and in-house designer respectively, of CMGT Construction Group, can attest.
Their creation of ‘C’ House for a private owner in Vancouver has earned them a 2018 Georgie nomination in the category of Best Custom Home Valued Between $900,000$1,299,999, as well as Best Single Family Kitchen Under $100,000.
Fung says, “For ‘C’ House we had an opportunity to work with our client to make this a real showcase and something that would be recognized by the Georgies.”
To say ‘C’ House was a dream project for CMGT would be an understatement. Fung, who brings over 25 years of formal education, experience and hands-on trades background to every project, explains, “The homeowners had purchased this particular lot and told me, ‘Design and build a home that’s modern, timeless and a place our family will always want to live in.’”
The 33-foot-wide lot dictated many of the architectural decisions, the most obvious being ground floor living spaces that seem far grander than their actual dimensions. “The kitchen and adjacent family room play a substantial role in achieving this effect because the Kolbe folding windows separating the kitchen from the rear exterior deck can fold completely open, transforming the kitchen to have this bar-like interface with the deck,” says Fung. “Then there’s the set of Kolbe folding doors that separates the family room from the rear exterior deck that, when opened, further extends that space to the outdoors.”
‘C’ House has a distinctive modern architectural style and is so named due to the second level of the cube-shaped front face being shaped like the letter C. Inside, the living spaces consist of various rectangular forms and right angles, with the relatively small width of the house (only 26 feet) imparting a cosy ambiance. “We loaded ‘C’ House with the newest features available, including solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, exterior insulation, energy-efficient floor-to-ceiling windows, a laneway home, and Gaggenau appliances,” says Fung.
Lowe adds, “We also pushed the envelope with regards to City of Vancouver regulations. For example, the city wants overhangs to be of a specific limit, so in order to achieve what we wanted we pulled the house in just a tad to get a bit more projection.”
Although Fung and Lowe will have to wait until March 10 to find out if they will take home a Georgie or two, ‘C’ House exemplifies the award program’s recognition of excellence in homebuilding in B.C. “It’s exhilarating just to know we got nominated,” says Lowe. “We’re very much looking forward to the ceremonies in March.”