West Coast Modern homes still standing on the North Shore, and why they're worth millions
Architect Eve Lazarus highlights three remaining examples of the movement that defined Vancouver's postwar design, as about 60% of mid-century modern stock has been demolished.
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Two West Coast Modern houses are currently on the market in West Vancouver at vastly different price points, illustrating the premium collectors now place on the architectural movement that shaped Vancouver's postwar identity.
The BC Binning House, built in 1941 at a cost of $5,000, now carries an asking price of $5.25 million. When realtor Jesse Saniuk purchased it in 2015, he undertook a complete restoration, including the preservation of Binning's own murals. The hefty price reflects the house's outsized historical significance: it is credited with launching the West Coast Modernism movement and directly influencing architectural icons such as Arthur Erickson.
The other listing is the 1958 Bob Lewis-designed Erickson House, built for Arthur Erickson's brother Don, near the Gleneagles Golf Course. Its asking price is just under $2 million.
According to Trent Rodney, co-founder of West Coast Modern, a common misconception is that the movement is frozen in the 1940s to 1960s. While architects such as Erickson, Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth, and Barry Downs defined the movement, contemporary firms like McLeod Bovell continue to base new builds on the same principles.
Historically, these houses sat on large lots and were long dismissed as "bulldozer bait." Rodney estimates that about 60 per cent of the mid-century modern stock has been demolished. However, none of his own sales have resulted in demolition — buyers increasingly view the houses as works of art rather than as land assets to be cleared.
Rodney estimates there are around 1,700 West Coast Modern homes still standing across Metro Vancouver. "That number comes from years of physically driving every neighbourhood, scouting and cataloguing these homes ourselves. We suspect there are still a few hundred more out there we haven't found yet," he said.
Three North Shore examples stand out. Architect Barry Downs' house sits on a cliff top above West Vancouver's Garrow Bay. He bought the land in 1979 and lived there until his death in 2022. Downs trained at Thompson, Berwick and Pratt and worked with some of the city's most imaginative architects, including a partnership with Fred Hollingsworth. When interviewed at his home in 2014, Downs described the philosophy: "We built on narrow lots with simple and affordable post and beam houses. We designed houses that pushed up through the trees, that revolved around the idea of the big room, surrounded by the garden, and the view of the changing seasons."
Hollingsworth invented the Neoteric style — family housing with a small footprint, open plan, and simple post-and-beam construction. He designed the Sky Bungalow in 1949 for an unusual brief: developer Eric Allan needed a house to promote the new Capilano Highlands subdivision and convinced the Hudson Bay to allow construction in its parking lot, provided the house occupied no more than three parking spots. Hollingsworth perched the wooden house on beams and floated it over the cars. After the house sold and moved, it was relocated to Aintree Drive, just blocks away from its original site.
These surviving homes represent not just postwar design history, but a philosophy of building that prioritized integration with landscape, restraint in footprint, and livability over ostentation — principles that continue to influence Vancouver architects today.
At a glance
What is the BC Binning House asking price?
$5.25 million. Built in 1941, the BC Binning House is credited with launching the West Coast Modernism movement and directly influencing architectural icons such as Arthur Erickson.
How much of Vancouver's mid-century modern housing stock has been demolished?
About 60 per cent of the mid-century modern stock across Metro Vancouver has been demolished, though Trent Rodney estimates approximately 1,700 West Coast Modern homes still stand.
What is the Neoteric style?
Architect Fred Hollingsworth invented the Neoteric style, which features family housing with a small footprint, open plan, and simple post-and-beam construction.
Where was the Sky Bungalow originally built?
Fred Hollingsworth designed the Sky Bungalow in 1949 in the Hudson Bay parking lot to promote the Capilano Highlands subdivision, and it was later relocated to Aintree Drive.
