The Kentucky Waterfall

A trusted builder and colleague was ready to turn their attention to their own family home, but was searching for a creative concept. With a sought after Alberta Arts location, a charming bungalow aesthetic and a back yard boasting endless possibilities, there was much to love about the house except size and configuration of spaces. A small partial basement was crammed to the gills with the working needs of the family, while attic bedrooms, and others adjoining primary spaces barely contained the teenage kids. A skilled builder and designer in his own right, the client wanted a second opinion, and reached out to THESIS. What resulted became first jokingly, then fondly, known as the Kentucky Waterfall. A striking, modern shape emerged from the back of the home, just peeking from the front, but dominating the back yard with a decidedly different aesthetic. Clad in a skin of varied metal – some patina’d (from a barn in the grasslands of Washington) and some newly rolled and powder coated; the addition celebrates rather than hides the fact that it is different. From humble bungalow beginnings came grander, open rooms, united by a stair connecting all levels including a newly dug basement. Bright and airy from carefully positioned windows, the program of spaces is appropriately bold and surprising, ranging from a leather studio to 4 person sauna, a special reading nook in the stairwell, and a walk-in shower with Japanese soaking tub. Outside, things remain lively with a detached studio, large chicken coop, aerial acrobatic apparatus, and an outdoor entertaining patio.

Photos: Christine Dong
Construction: McFaddin Design Build