Arbour House

June 4, 2026

Award Category Governor General's Medals in Architecture

Distinction Lauréat du Prix d’excellence

Awarded Year 2026

Firms Patkau Architects

Overlooking Cadboro Bay, Arbour House is a thoughtfully designed residence that intertwines landscape, light, and family life. Created for a retired couple seeking accessible single-floor living, the home balances intimacy and collectivity while supporting aging in place. Positioned high on its steep site, the design maximizes sunlight, bay views, and direct connections to outdoor courts, while preserving and expanding the site’s grove of protected Garry oaks.

A rhythmic pleated arbour of locally sourced western hemlock filters daylight through operable skylights, creating shifting patterns that evoke dappled light beneath a tree canopy. The fluid plan combines interconnected spaces that foster both privacy and shared gathering.

Passive strategies, including natural ventilation, deep overhangs, permeable landscaping, and water storage systems, enhance environmental performance. Renewable systems, including geothermal heating and a rooftop photovoltaic array supplying over 72% of energy needs, reinforce resilience. Local low-carbon materials further reduce embodied carbon, grounding the home in ecological stewardship.

JURY COMMENT(S)

The jury appreciated Arbour House by Patkau Architects for its sensitive response to a steep coastal site overlooking Cadboro Bay. This single-storey residence unites interconnected living spaces beneath a rhythmic pleated hemlock arbour that filters daylight into dynamic dappled patterns evoking the forest canopy, while enabling sea breezes, panoramic views, and passive environmental strategies for intimate yet expansive daily life.