Layer House, in Willis Point, British Columbia, is not just a house facing the water.
Its strongest idea is the separation between living and creating.
Built on a wooded slope above the Saanich Inlet, the house is organized in layers: the main residence, the studio, the wood workshop, the bridge, the decks, the terraces, the forest, and the water below.
On one side, the main house holds the spaces for living, resting, gathering, and retreating. On the other, an auxiliary building holds the atelier above and the wood workshop below. Between them, a bridge creates a quiet transition from domestic life to creative work.
Inside, wood brings warmth and continuity, while large glass openings connect the rooms to the water, sky, and trees. The result is not a generic glass box by the water, but a house that uses distance, connection, and landscape to organize daily life.
Layer House shows that a home for artists does not need to be extravagant to be interesting. Sometimes, the strongest gesture is simple: separate things well, connect them with a bridge, and let the slope, the forest, the water, and the routine do the rest.
Architects: W O V E N Architecture and Design
Lead Architects: Julian Carnrite
Location: Willis Point, Canada
Area: 6477 ft²
Year: 2025
Photographs: Sama Jim Canzian
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