Point Grey’s ultra-modern ‘cube house’ sells for $7.65M after year on market
A cube-shaped house on Vancouver’s tony Point Grey Road that had raised some eyebrows due to its ultra-modern design has been sold.
The 3,709-square-foot house sold last month for $7.65 million, about a year after it went on the market and down from its original list price of $14 million.
Despite taking a year to sell, there was no lack of interest from potential buyers, said realtor Loren Dunsworth. But while the house appealed to a lot of people, the pool of serious buyers was more limited.
“It’s a very specific kind of buyer,” she said. “Two bedrooms isn’t for everybody at that price point, and not everybody needed a huge garage.”
But, she added, “everyone loved the deck.”
The corner-lot property was purchased in 2014 for $3.5 million. It is assessed this year at more than $7.4 million, up from last year’s assessed value of about $6.2 million.
During construction, the house was the subject of much chatter among neighbours, passersby and architecture aficionados because of its cube shape and distinctive front facade of dark galvanized steel on the upper levels with no windows on the south side, lending it the look of a concrete bunker.
It’s a house, architect Tony Robins noted last year just before the property went on the market, that challenged people’s preconceptions about what a house ought to look like. He pointed out that his design actually boasted more windows than a typical house, thanks to the generous floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the ground floor.
The house has two bedrooms and spans four levels, including a four-vehicle garage and a rooftop balcony equipped with a hot tub and spectacular ocean views.
Despite the lack of windows on the south facade, the second floor is bathed in light pouring in from a skylight and windows located strategically on other sides of the house.
Whether the house is a modern marvel or a neighbourhood eyesore, its new owners are fans.
“They loved everything about the house,” Dunsworth said. “They are a Vancouver family who previously lived in Point Grey and moved due to the traffic, and are now absolutely delighted to be back.”
While the house may be better suited for a single person or couple who loves to entertain, Dunsworth said the buyers have young grandchildren and “they can’t wait for the invitation to come over.”