An Intern Architect Builds a Home For His Growing Family on a Strict Budget [Dwell]
By: Jennifer Baum Lagdameo
To accommodate his growing family, an intern architect in Canada builds a cost-efficient home that becomes the calling card of his future firm.
Constructed on a tight, tree-covered, infill lot in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, Elm Avenue Residence was designed and built by John Duerksen for his family of five with the help of a few friends. Then an intern for a firm in Winnipeg, Duerksen has since established his own eponymous architecture practice.
The home's contemporary profile shows a sensitivity to the adjacent established homes, many of which sport Victorian-style roofs. / Lindsay Reid
The residence exemplifies a strong sensitivity to site. Duerksen developed his design cues from the adjacent established homes, many of which sport Victorian-style roofs. He also placed priority on respecting the lots' existing trees while trying to retain as much sunlight as possible. In an effort to keep costs down, the dark wood siding on the exterior and the feature interior staircase were constructed out of fir plywood by Duerksen himself.
