The Vancouver special is an architectural style of residential houses developed in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The style was popular from the 1960s to 1980s due to an ability to maximize floor space with relatively cheap construction costs.[1]
Vancouver specials are typically found in groups due to their mass production
Vancouver specials were mass-produced between 1965 and 1985.[2] However, there are examples of homes built in the late 1940s which share the characteristics of a Vancouver special.[1]
The houses were first built in southeast Vancouver in the early 1960s to serve newly-arrived immigrants from Europe.[3] However, the mass production of the Vancouver special is primarily attributed to the South Asian community after a wave of immigration in the 1960s and 1970s prompted many new immigrants to settle in the area and preside over the last large scale residential development in southeast Vancouver.[4][5]
In response to public reaction to the proliferation of this design, the City of Vancouver made changes to the single-family zoning regulations[how?] in the 1980s with the intent to stop additional Vancouver specials from being built. However, other Lower Mainland cities have not substantially changed their housing codes over the past 25 years with respect to this kind of housing design. Thus, it is still possible to build (and buy) new houses (of very similar design to the classic Vancouver specials) in the Lower Mainland.[citation needed]
Characteristicsedit
Typical Vancouver special
Vancouver specials are front-gabled, two-storey, boxy houses built on grade (i.e., without a raised foundation), with low-pitched roofs. They contain a shallow balcony on the second floor accessed by sliding glass doors. The front door is typically set to one side of the house, which allows for main living quarters on the upper floor and secondary suites on the bottom. Ground level facades are typically finished with brick or stone, with stucco at the higher levels.[2]
Geographical distributionedit
Vancouver specials can be found all over Greater Vancouver due to their mass production. The architectural housing design can also be seen elsewhere in the outer regions of the Lower Mainland and other parts of southern British Columbia where the climate is moderate.
The housing architecture also can be found substantially in Victoria, Comox, Duncan and Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island) but is less common due to the different economic conditions and constraints there.
Cultural referencesedit
The much maligned Vancouver special, however, may yet see its bad reputation improve. Some indications include a locally produced music compilation compact disc in 2000, Vancouver Special, which features several examples of the house design on the cover, and a renovated Vancouver special that won the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia's Innovation Award for Architecture in 2005.[6]
A home design store on Main Street bears the name "Vancouver Special" and Arsenal Pulp Press of Vancouver published Vancouver Special, a book of essays about the city by Charles Demers, in November 2009, showing that the reputation of the homes may have now gained a certain vintage glamour.
Local brewery, R&B Brewing, offers a West Coast IPA named after the Vancouver special.[7]
Vancouver Special by Arsenal Pulp Press (November, 2009)
Flickr set of examples
February 16, 2024
vancouver, special, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, possibly, contains, original, research, please, improve, verifying, claims, made, add. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Vancouver special news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message The Vancouver special is an architectural style of residential houses developed in Metro Vancouver Canada The style was popular from the 1960s to 1980s due to an ability to maximize floor space with relatively cheap construction costs 1 Vancouver specials are typically found in groups due to their mass production Contents 1 Background 2 Characteristics 3 Geographical distribution 4 Cultural references 5 See also 6 References 7 External links and sourcesBackground editVancouver specials were mass produced between 1965 and 1985 2 However there are examples of homes built in the late 1940s which share the characteristics of a Vancouver special 1 The houses were first built in southeast Vancouver in the early 1960s to serve newly arrived immigrants from Europe 3 However the mass production of the Vancouver special is primarily attributed to the South Asian community after a wave of immigration in the 1960s and 1970s prompted many new immigrants to settle in the area and preside over the last large scale residential development in southeast Vancouver 4 5 In response to public reaction to the proliferation of this design the City of Vancouver made changes to the single family zoning regulations how in the 1980s with the intent to stop additional Vancouver specials from being built However other Lower Mainland cities have not substantially changed their housing codes over the past 25 years with respect to this kind of housing design Thus it is still possible to build and buy new houses of very similar design to the classic Vancouver specials in the Lower Mainland citation needed Characteristics edit nbsp Typical Vancouver specialVancouver specials are front gabled two storey boxy houses built on grade i e without a raised foundation with low pitched roofs They contain a shallow balcony on the second floor accessed by sliding glass doors The front door is typically set to one side of the house which allows for main living quarters on the upper floor and secondary suites on the bottom Ground level facades are typically finished with brick or stone with stucco at the higher levels 2 Geographical distribution editVancouver specials can be found all over Greater Vancouver due to their mass production The architectural housing design can also be seen elsewhere in the outer regions of the Lower Mainland and other parts of southern British Columbia where the climate is moderate The housing architecture also can be found substantially in Victoria Comox Duncan and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island but is less common due to the different economic conditions and constraints there Cultural references editThe much maligned Vancouver special however may yet see its bad reputation improve Some indications include a locally produced music compilation compact disc in 2000 Vancouver Special which features several examples of the house design on the cover and a renovated Vancouver special that won the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia s Innovation Award for Architecture in 2005 6 A home design store on Main Street bears the name Vancouver Special and Arsenal Pulp Press of Vancouver published Vancouver Special a book of essays about the city by Charles Demers in November 2009 showing that the reputation of the homes may have now gained a certain vintage glamour Local brewery R amp B Brewing offers a West Coast IPA named after the Vancouver special 7 See also editDingbat building McMansion VancouverismReferences edit a b History of the Vancouver Special blogs ubc ca vancouverspecialsimmigration University of British Columbia Retrieved 2 September 2020 a b Vancouver Special VancouverHeritageFoundation org Vancouver Heritage Foundation Retrieved 2 September 2020 Vancouver Special Sunset Project PDF Vancouver Special Sunset Project PDF Booming Vancouver The Beginning of the Vancouver Special 11 September 2013 A special renovation The Georgia Straight 2005 11 24 Retrieved 2020 12 29 R amp B Brewing randbbrewing com R amp B Brewing Co Retrieved 2 September 2020 External links and sources edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Houses in Vancouver Home Improvements by David Carrigg Vancouver Courier 5 November 2004 Vancouver Special Redux by Christopher MacDonald Canadian Architect July 2004 Vancouverspecial com a gallery and location map of Vancouver Special houses https www vancouverheritagefoundation org wp content uploads 2021 02 Final Copy Vancouver Special pdf Vancouver Special by Arsenal Pulp Press November 2009 Flickr set of examples Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vancouver special amp oldid 1194722373, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
