Full House

Full House is a two-storey, plus basement, 3,500 sq. ft, multi-generational housing typology developed in the city of Vancouver. While this particular project is a contextual response to the economic, social, and urban conditions of Vancouver, urban centers across Canada are bearing witness to rising real estate prices and a general increase in the number of adult children living with their parents. Multi-generational living is a much more viable homeownership option for many families.

The design of Full House is conceived as a 5-bedroom home with a 1-bedroom laneway house. The key detail of the project is the main floor pivot door – inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s Door, a door that is hinged between 2 possible frames, thus modulating adjacent spaces. In this project, a similar pivoting steel plate partition that can occupy three possible positions, and in each position alters the architectural programming of the suites in the house.

The structural system is light wood frame, the most simple and efficient way to maximize the use of local construction trades, practices, and materials. Larger loads were supported by the introduction of specific steel elements.  The central courtyard brings light down into the lower levels of the building. A simple plywood shear wall system makes up the lateral system.

The benefits of multi-generational living are becoming widely recognized around the world. Full house was designed to adapt and evolve alongside family structure and lifestyle changes, proposing a sustainable way of life.