St. Francis Wood
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Private commission; completed 2019
Preservation, restoration, and major renovation
Original Architect: John Di Castri
Built 1957 + heritage designated 2002
Victoria, BC
2759 SF [256 SM]
Victoria Heritage Foundation House Grant Program Recipient 2018
Photography: Sama Jim Canzian © [1-12 completed renovation]
Photography: STA © [13-24 details, model images, plans, deconstruction & exterior photos]
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The home, known as the Thomson House on the heritage register, is situated in the Rocklands neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia. The house was built in 1957 and heritage designated in 2002 by The City of Victoria—its first post-war building to receive a heritage designation. Architect John Di Castri, a distinguished local architect, designed the original house.
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This renovation project offered the opportunity for transformation, to adapt to new desires, and to further explore its potential—a chance to remove, re-work, add, overlay, and refine. The original structural system comprised of glulam beams and steel pipe columns supporting the floor, roof, and decks allowed all the interior walls to be removed and the spaces reconfigured with a high degree of flexibility.
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The finishing is minimal, featuring white-wash, white oak hardwood flooring throughout, and balanced with a curated palette of whites, including walls, millwork, counters, hardware, and fixtures. This reduced palette marries carefully with the preservation of the home’s original and valued features, including its tongue & groove cedar ceiling and unique structural system, all of which were carefully maintained, restored, and refinished. In the main living space, a large expanse of glazing (the largest pane measures 1.90m x 5.95m) replaces a series of non-original windows to capture the expansive views beyond.