Fraser Residence

Deeply influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Japanese design, Ron Thom was one of the most significant talents to emerge from the postwar Vancouver architecture scene. Thom’s 1968 Fraser residence at 4 Old George Place, Rosedale, co-designed with associate Paul Merrick, exemplifies his fusion of West Coast sensibilities with the Ontario landscape and building traditions. Influenciado profundamente por Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra y el diseño japonés, Ron Thom fue uno de los mayores talentos que emergieron en la escena arquitectónica de Vancouver tras el fin de la guerra. La Casa Fraser, construida en 1968 en el número 4 de Old George Place, Roselade junto a su socio Paul Merrick, ejemplifica claramente la fusión de la sensibilidad de la Costa Oeste con el paisaje de Ontario y sus tradiciones constructivas. From Old George Place, the Fraser residence is almost invisible; only the garage and covered walkway are visible behind dense foliage. The house itself wraps around the crest of a heavily wooded ravine, a striking free-form collision of sloping roof planes clad in rough cedar shingles, pinned by massive vertical slabs of reddish-brown brick and penetrated by skylights and slit windows. Inside, Thom pinwheeled three levels around a winding open staircase, softly illuminated by skylights in the ceiling peak. Spaces interlock vertically and horizontally with few right angles and are demarcated largely by low partitions or changes in floor height. A polygonal-shaped cantilevered deck extends the dining area into the surrounding trees. Walls and ceilings are of brick and waxed cedar boards, the subdued, introverted ambiance countered by natural light from clerestory windows and the floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the ravine. The effect is of a warm, enveloping shelter with an ever-changing play of light throughout the day.