On the western ridge of Bowen Island, this house by Vancouver practice SMStudio was completed in 2023 and is now being sold again by West Coast Modern. The cedar-clad building occupies a rocky clearing surrounded by mature Douglas firs, with two historic burnt-out stumps retained as defining features of the site.
Photography: courtesy of West Coast Modern
Photography: courtesy of West Coast Modern
Photography: courtesy of West Coast Modern
Photography: courtesy of West Coast Modern
Photography: courtesy of West Coast Modern
Known as Floating House, the project was positioned between the stumps and shaped by the site’s existing topography. The building sits close to the bedrock and responds to two distinct landscape conditions: a higher forested platform and an open meadow below. The plan is arranged beneath a steeply pitched standing-seam metal roof, with living spaces occupying the northern side of the house and bedrooms, an office and utility spaces to the south. Large windows frame views of the surrounding forest, while a sliding glass wall opens the main living area onto a west-facing deck.
Inside, polished-concrete floors transition to Douglas fir flooring and built-in timber joinery. Quartz surfaces, skylights and an 11-foot kitchen window bring natural light deep into the interior, while a wood-burning stove sits beside a large picture window overlooking the trees.
The project reflects the architectural approach of SMStudio founder Simon Montgomery, whose work draws on both west coast modernism and Japanese design traditions. Raised in West Vancouver and educated at UBC, Montgomery cites the influence of architects including Arthur Erickson and Peter Cardew, alongside time spent studying in Tokyo.
A 20-minute ferry crossing from Horseshoe Bay, Bowen Island is known for its forested landscapes, granite shoreline and growing community of artists, designers and architects.
