Odlum Residence

The Odlum residence was designed by RJ Thom in 1963 while at Thompson, Berwick + Pratt, replacing an earlier TB+P residence from 1954 that was destroyed by fire.

It sits on a large property on a main road in West Vancouver - a site which was recently sold and is slated for imminent demolition, to be replaced by a Senior Living Residence.

The house is listed as a Secondary Building in the West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture and possesses many features typical of Thom's other residential work.

The design is clear and unfussy but is now hampered by neglect and aesthetic choices (eg.exterior paint) that distract from the overall design. Nonetheless, the house still embodies the ethos of the era through modest, human scale, deference to the site and the importance of natural light.

The roof forms in the carport dominate the entrance area and echo the sweeping intersecting planar shapes of the grander Forrest Residence. It's a theme that runs throughout the house: wall planes project past usual corner points into the landscape, creating a dynamic structure and intimate garden corners.

Currently, the property is overgrown and in the process of reverting back to its natural state; a state that will soon be razed and completely transformed.

Architecture of Religion: Chapel at Redrooffs

The Church of His Presence is a tiny chapel near Sechelt commissioned by sea-going Missionary Canon Alan Greene. It was designed by Ron Thom in 1961 with Dick Mann while both were at Thompson Berwick and Pratt.

Still in use by a few old-timers, the chapel is perched on a rock bluff that looks out onto Welcome Pass. Greene built it as a memorial to his wife and the scattered congregation he ministered over many years by ship up and down the Sunshine Coast as part of the Columbia Coast Mission.

The simple A-frame structure is flooded with light from the largely glass enclosed end walls and a central skylight. The original solid wood doors (second photo) were replaced with plate glass ones as further funds became available to Greene after construction. Side windows at floor level provide sheltered views of ground cover from the pews, peeking out from underneath a flared roof edge. 

A relatively spacious deck leads to the front entrance and also serves as a gathering area during warmer months. 

The chapel was built by local tradespeople, with many of the materials acquired by donation. Greene himself donated the land. After construction, it was discovered that the chapel broached the neighbouring property slightly. As a suitable agreement could not be reached, it was moved so as to sit wholly on Greene's lot.

It remains a classic West Coast structure and a graceful if rough-hewn reminder of B.C.'s architectural and maritime history.

Historical Images: Anglican Archives of the Diocese of New Westminster

WV Modern House Tour, Part II

Also on the house tour was the Forrest Residence, designed by Ron Thom and Dick Mann. The present owners renovated the house sympathetically to the original vision, keeping much of the original detail intact. The largest change was in the kitchen which was completely redone. Additionally, there are some areas where cedar siding was replaced with drywall. The house sits on a stunning site that looks out over the city of Vancouver and the Straight of Georgia and is a structure worthy of its site.

The defining feature is the spreading, wing-like roof lines that follow the lay of the land as it descends to the front of the property. While the roof is supported by steel beams and trusses above sand-floated stucco ceilings, copious glass is used on many exterior 'walls', resulting in the feeling of the roof floating over the house.

In the spirit of much of Ron Thom's most nuanced work, areas of the house vary quite distinctly between light and dark. The south facing side, containing the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Master Bedroom all receive southern light that is tempered by generous roof overhangs while the bedrooms on the north side of the house, facing into the rising forested hillside, are darker and more contained. This 'darkness' is a key aspect of Thom's modulation of light within structure.