A free spirit suite

Behind the design

The clients first approached me with the goal of adding a legal suite to their home. Revelstoke BC attracts individuals from around the world who are looking to experience Canadian mountain culture during the summer or winter months. The town is ill equipped to handle the population influx and there is a housing shortage for seasonal residents. 

The clients’ initial thought was to add a second storey above their garage to accommodate a secondary suite. After discussing their needs and analyzing the existing home, I suggested building a basement suite rather than adding a second storey. I felt it was better to reprogram under-utilized space within the home than to add a costly addition. The clients’ concern with this approach was that, in their experience, they felt basement suites were dark, uninviting and uncomfortable spaces. They wanted to provide quality living spaces in the the rental market.

The design process started by assessing the guidelines and standards required for designing a legal suite. One requirement, is to provide direct access from the outside meaning the clients would need to excavate a stairwell into the basement to meet local codes. 

A typical response to this challenge would have solely been to excavate a stair width hole into the basement. A retaining wall would be required to hold back the earth, drainage at the bottom of the stair to prevent heavy rains and snow melt from coming into the basement suite, and building an access stair into the suite below. All of this would be required for the sole purpose of establishing exterior access to the basement. 

An a-typical response to this challenge would be to ask the questions “What would happen if we we were to do more?” and “What could be created if we extend the foundations of the retaining wall?” Of course there would be added material expenses, but how much would that be and what else could we gain for this minimal expense? 

We created a subterranean courtyard that would provide renters with their own outdoor space away from the principal residence while providing privacy despite a compact living environment. 

In addition to meeting entry requirements, pushing the retaining wall back would also provide enough room for daylight to penetrate the basement suite. This simple addition would give renters something most basement suites lack; quality living space. 

The design creates equality between the principal residence and the new legal suite. The suite also addresses the issue of Revelstoke housing shortage and densifies the community without adding additional structures.