Cortes Island Residence

Cortes Island, British Columbia

The Cortes Residence is sited on a granite cliff face that serves as a wind break for Cortes Bay and the Seattle and Vancouver yacht clubs. To the south, the house is exposed to the Straight of Georgia which delivers 100mph plus winds and salt spray during winter storms. To withstand the winds, the house structure is embedded into the bedrock with cross braced steel columns and exposed floor beams allowing the house to cantilever gracefully off the hillside. The entry side of the house sits level with the bedrock and is made up of visually solid concrete forms that create the entry space and anchor the house to the site.