The Mountains Are Calling
Explorations of Alpine Living in Squamish, BC
studios: mknly architecture / black chamber
project team: Bao-Nghi Nhan
Alpine living represents the human pursuit of freedom, adventure, and ultimately a sense of belonging in a place that is at once vast and sublime. Many stories told through motion pictures over the course of the last century have demonstrated what people have been searching for.
The Sound of Music
Spectre - 007
The Grand Budapest Hotel
To give further context to the idea of alpine living, we also wanted to reference and illustrate how alpine typologies have evolved historically. We started with notions of early settlement: a lone hut amongst a treed landscape, or an isolated cabin in the woods. We then looked to leisure destinations, which for some speak to temporality, and are solely seasonal. These typologies are singular and remote.
In contrast, our site is not about solitude, but rather facilitates connections to the community – poised for growth on a slope open to mountainous views.
Alpine Typologies
Our site, Squamish, is known as the outdoor capital of Canada. Its vibe is sophisticated, innovative, and authentic. There is a growing urban community that seeks something more than the status quo. Those who live here pursue the spirit of adventure.
Squamish, BC
Site
So the ultimate question for us becomes simple - how do we live together in the great outdoors embodying Squamish in a way that feels both urban and alpine? We are designing for a community of families and friends who look to lay down roots. Our approach to this design is from the ground up: studying the contours of the site. Each home is stacked but slid back against the slope to hug the landscape. This tiered approach offers large outdoor patios and ground access to each home, inherently connecting residents to nature.
Creating Homes on Slope
And this is just the beginning. Please stay tuned for what’s to come!
