Re-folded House by McLeod Bovell and Andrew van Egmond

Built in 2024 / 2025 Entries / 2025 Landscape and Architecture / 2025 Private Gardens / Canada /
mcleodbovell.com + andrewvanegmond.com

The house is located on a floodplain formed by sedimentary deposits in the meandering bends of the Fraser River delta—the longest un-dammed river in North America.

Over time, this area developed with the introduction of a functional logistics grid system. Residential dwellings evolving from subdivisions of larger estates resulted in a denser grid, further alienating the urban landscape from its natural context. The intention behind this project was to detach it from its urban fabric and reconnect it to its natural landscape in order to create a sense of place and a meaningful narrative, enriching the overall living experience.

Landscape—as an extension of the surrounding wetland—is understood to consist of folded layers: sedimentation, wetland vegetation, and floating elements. The first layer represents the river’s sedimentary deposits which is integrated subtly into the landscape as the fine gravel driveway, functional surfaces, and on-grade stairs. The second, mediated by wetland vegetation, consists of a resilient carpet of sedges mixed with native and native-like plants, which transition into deciduous shrubs and conifers, enhancing the natural flow between wetland and higher banks. The front yard is kept unfenced, allowing this green carpet to bleed into the immediate pedestrian realm and the adjacent public park. And the third layer introduces constructed elements, like walkways, boardwalks, and benches, which are elevated, floating above the other layers.

In a unusual occurrence, our client approached us with a request to re-conceptualize a house mid-way through construction as she took over management of the project from her parents. She asked us to re-examine the entire house and critically examine typical programmatic uses and relationships that commonly occur in residential design. Client direction led us to an intervention that resulted in material and geometric clarification of the exterior planes of the house and the idea that these elements should also be reflected in interior spaces. Folded walls, ceilings and hovering floor plates (separated from walls) created irregular thresholds and angled prosceniums that encourage spaces to flow from one area to the next. Angled walls direct movement through the house in a cinematic manner. Glimpses of views, spaces, and light can be seen around every bend. Because most spaces have a multifaceted reading, efforts were made to blur normal programmatic signifiers like doors and hallways. Furniture is deliberately sparse, sculptural, and—where it exists—suggestive of several modes of occupation.

These ideas also translated into an effort to clarify the material choices of the house that support a conceptual understanding of the site. This land is vulnerable to periodic flooding, particularly during periods when heavy rainfall coincides with high tides. Accoya, a naturally treated pine developed in the Netherlands for use in groundwater contact situations (like the lining of canal walls), is used throughout the project. While the unique variegated “sticker” marks are artifacts of industrial processing, they also serve as a visual reminder of the wood’s acetylation process which renders it stable and durable in water logged conditions. The wood has been left to naturally weather to soft grey tones that are reminiscent of the retained hemlock trees on the site.

The project is a meditation on the interrelationship between the natural world and the object, where all the design decisions try to re-imagine a family house in a very particular location. Folding, whether on the land, with the house, or with its material language plays a role in reflecting an understanding of this place and the people who live there.

• Other landscape architecture offices involved in the design of the landscape:
Lead designer: Andrew van Egmond
In collaboration with: Alexander Suvajac

• Architecture offices involved in the design:
McLeod Bovell

• Other credits:
Matt McLeod, Lisa Bovell, Thomas Yuan (architecture design team);
Photography (as indicated in file name): Ema Peter, Andrew van Egmond, Alexander Suvajac