Fluevog House by MA+HG Architects
Nestled between the vernacular forms of a vibrant East Vancouver neighbourhood, Fluevog House is a house designed by MA+HG Architects in 2024. A home for a prominent local shoemaker, Fluevog House showcases a unique appearance derived from a subtractive carving of pure geometry, with a yellow roof deck and triangular and round windows. As a Net Zero project, Fluevog House expressively combines creativity and technical performance.
A Sea Green Gable Marks The Fluevog House
Nestled between the vernacular forms of a vibrant East Vancouver neighbourhood, a sea green gable appears. A home for a prominent local shoemaker, the Fluevog House is an expression of the family’s unabashed love of colour, form and pattern. The home’s unique appearance is derived from a subtractive carving of pure geometry: a yellow roof deck featuring a circular opening is carved out of the roofline, and triangular and round windows mark the facade.
A Playful Architecture Aesthetically Reflects The Home’s Energy and Rebellion
Inspired by the joyfully rebellious nature of the owner’s shoe brand, the project uses everyday materials in unconventional ways. Stucco control joints wrap the facade, echoing the craftsmanship of shoemaking. Interior elements are boldly coloured to guide and define space while willfully insisting that no colours clash.
Interior Spaces Are Defined By Colour and Form
The main floor unfolds through a blue foyer and past an audacious powder room adorned with custom Fluevog wallpaper. The kitchen blends functionality with style, featuring fluted cabinets and a long window backsplash. The space then opens up to the living and dining area, seamlessly connected to the backyard patio.
A bright yellow stair leads to the second level which offers a multifunctional space serving as a family room, library, and hidden guest suite. A shared bathroom enhances privacy with separate areas for sinks and toilets, featuring playful tile patterns and cheerful yellow cabinetry.
A Study Overlooks A Unique, Outdoor Tub On A Bright Yellow Roof Deck
At the uppermost level, the principal bedroom is illuminated by triangular and circular windows, and connected to a hallway study by clerestory glazing. The washroom showcases a walk-through shower and bath under a skylight. The study looks out over a sunlit yellow roof deck. There, a blue clawfoot tub sits before a large circular opening and looks across neighbouring gables to dense green treetops and hints of the mountains beyond.
Exploring How Creativity and Technical Performance Can Co-Exist
As a Net Zero project, the creative expression of the architecture demonstrates how creativity and technical performance can continue to co-exist. As our building technologies become more necessarily prescriptive, the exercise here was to demonstrate how we can continue to achieve high performance buildings, within a highly creative context: the offset gable form is derived exclusively by the spatial needs of the solar array; and the simple, solid massing is an optimum form factor that allows for the continuity of the air barrier and thermal insulation.
These resultant strong geometries are then repeated throughout the design – circle, square, triangle – creating a holistic language that reflects both the technical requirements of the project and the spirit of place.
Photography by Janis Nicolay
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