Screen House by Randy Bens

The commissioning of the project was to expand in an apartment house in 1954, located in a suburban neighborhood in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. The neighborhood is located on top of a mountain and is characterized by fine examples of modern architecture in those years.

The existing house was too small for their owners, a couple with three children ages 17 to 26 years. The new floor would be for parents and children would take the existing floor rooms suitable sizes. The extension would comprise a study, master bedroom and a deck to take advantage of the view. Architecturally, the goal was to unite the existing and new with very simple operations and materials not invade the context.

To meet the new verticality of the house and protect from direct south sun reached the living room, she set a horizontal screen that gives a more balanced composition. The screen is extended past the living room in both directions, creating a covered entrance to the east and west structured open space where you see a bamboo stand. To reinforce the flatness of the screen, build a concrete base that ends in a low wall where the management of the house.

To bring order and unity to the facades were used bright zinc panels aligned with the openings. The new interior floors were built of wood and the walls are gray so that they can be exposed to works of art from one of its owners. The result is a warm interior and intense play of light generated by the display screen and a new wood and steel staircase connects the two floors.