West Vancouver's development bylaws are among the most restrictive in the region — and Dundarave, with its sloping lots and layered ocean and city views, adds its own site-specific complexity on top. For a young family of five replacing their existing home, the goal was straightforward in ambition if not in execution: fit everything a growing family needs into a lot that doesn't give anything away easily.

The design solution was found in the roofline. By adopting a modern farmhouse aesthetic with peaked gables, the upper floor gains the volume needed to fit four bedrooms without breaching the height envelope — the gables work within the regulations while simultaneously breaking up the massing, giving the home a human scale that a more contemporary design couldn't achieve on this site. Form and compliance, for once, pulling in the same direction.

Below the roofline, the sloping lot becomes an asset. The section is organized to capture the ocean and city views that make this neighbourhood what it is, with the living areas oriented to make the most of the outlook across the water — and with careful placement of the upper floor bedrooms within the gabled form, every bedroom in the house captures a view of its own.

At 3,200 sq ft, nothing was left on the table — every square foot earned its place through careful negotiation with the bylaw envelope. The result is a home that feels generous and grounded, with enough room for a family of five to grow into it.