Warmth and Light: Elbow House in Calgary by Studio North
Local firm Studio North creates an open and airy minimalist home nestled in the woods.
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Set on the forested banks of the Elbow River in Calgary, this house creates connections to the landscape while providing a sense of secluded retreat.
Calgary firm Studio North conceived the house as two levels: a brick base provides a sense of solidity and connectedness to the earth, but on the upper level, a wooden screen animates the façade. Interior design was undertaken by Bailey Fray DeJong.
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Damon Hayes Couture
Photo by Damon Hayes Couture
“We thought of the house as a vessel for light,” says Damon Hayes Couture, the creative director of Studio North. The wooden screen goes a long way toward making that happen. It provides a degree of privacy, but together with the surrounding trees, it also creates compelling daylight conditions inside the house. “There are so many different ways that the shadows move throughout the day,” Couture says. Skylights introduce more daylight even deeper in the space.
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Inside, a living room on the main level is enclosed with south- and east-facing windows, bringing generous amounts of sunlight into the house and connecting the interior to the trees outside. Ten-foot ceilings make the room feel open and airy. Designed by Bailey Fray DeJong, the furniture and finishes create a minimalist but warm environment.
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
On the second floor, the wood-clad structure that contains the primary bedroom cantilevers from the brick base. The windows on three sides of the room not only offer stunning views of the surrounding riverside but also result in a range of light and shadow during the day, furthering Studio North’s exploration of capturing light.
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
Photo by Hayden Pattullo
