Located on the east side of Quadra Island, BC, Canada and overlooking the Discovery islands as well as BCs mainland coast. Tula House is perched on a large boulder that protrudes out and over the beach below. This luxury home was designed by Patkau Architects to blend and work with its natural landscape and they did this by incorporating a green roof planted with moss and local ground covers, installing 2 glass floor inserts that overlook the beach below and designing a pool within the courtyard that is fed with a continuous flow of groundwater.

Quadra island has a irregular topography and the site Tula House is perched on is no exception.

Patkau Architects took advantage of a large, natural boulder on the edge of the site and designed the Quadra Island Home to extend out and over the beach below.

Two triangular glass floor sections overlook the beach from the home’s cantilevered structure.

The east-facing site takes advantage of the sunrise.

The combination of concrete, black fibre board fencing and the living roof lets the Quadra Island Home virtually disappear from site at a distance, even the skylights appear to be no more then reflections of water pools.

The approach to the Quadra Island Home, although geometric, feels like a nature walk thanks to the pre-existing Douglas-firs incorporated into the design.

It is only as you arrive at the gated entry that the deliberate geometry separates it from its surrounding landscape.

On the private side of the gate is a naturally fed pond surrounded by large swathes of concrete.

The pond is a sustainable feature fed by a continuous flow of groundwater that travels to and through the pond before dissipating into the ocean below.

The concrete courtyard wraps around the pond, leading to the main entrance which is just off of the kitchen.

Once inside, floor to ceiling windows keep the pool front and centre.

On the other side the Pacific Ocean, or more specifically – Discovery Passage – is the main attraction.

The dining room is raised, allowing it to look over the living room, which has a front row seat whenever orcas or humpback whales travel by.

The first of the triangular glass floors is positioned in the home office area behind the living room’s concrete wall.

The second of the glass floors is on the other side of the living room, separating it from the outdoor dining area.

As with the rest of the Quadra Island Home, the terrace has stunning views and in the summer, the glass wall can be opened up to create an uninterrupted connection to the living room.

The back façade of the Quadra Island Home is symmetrical ending on either side with a balcony.

The private balcony is part of the master bedroom.

The kitchen is not pat of the back façade but rather is located off the front courtyard.
The green wall in the kitchen is clearly visible from the dining area.

Patkau Architects
Photography by James Dow and Patkau Architects
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