From the Ground, Into the Light: Organic Architecture of the Islands, 1950-2000

– ON VIEW UNTIL October 12th, 2024 –

Drawing from the design philosophies of architects such as Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), the term organic architecture implies a focused intention to assimilate a building into the natural environment in which it is located. The four houses featured in this exhibit all display this characteristic in innovative ways that were definitive of their time and place among the islands of the Salish Sea of coastal British Columbia.

Out of Nature, For Nature

The unique and rugged landscapes of the region can pose a multitude of challenges for the construction of enduring and comfortable residential buildings. Uneven and steep rocky coastlines covered with thick forest are typical, but these qualities also have their own appeal. The abundance of wood and stone offer plentiful building materials, while prominent positions on coastal eminences give endlessly captivating views of surrounding seascapes. Indeed, the inherent challenges of building in the region can also be seen as providing the greatest benefits when approached in a sympathetic, organic, way.

Organic Architecture

The characteristics that define a house as being more or less “organic” in its design and construction can be reduced to a few relatively simple principles. These include:

– Sensitivity to site and the ways that a building complements and enhances, rather than diminishes, the naturally occurring qualities of its environment.

– The use of locally produced materials and open recognition and celebration of their inherent qualities.

– The active inter-connection of interior space to external setting, with design emanating from the inside outward.

– A holistic and harmonious incorporation of design elements, from the smallest to the largest, including built-ins and other furnishings.

Local Examples

The four architects featured in this exhibit all brought highly individualized approaches to their interpretations of the principles of organic architecture and applied them in ways that were closely attuned both to both the wishes of their clients and the particular sites of their work. John Di Castri (1924-2005) was Victoria’s most prolific and best known mid-century organic architect whose work throughout the city shows a versatile and confident expression of the characteristics noted above. Henry Schubart (1916-98) learned about the principles of organic architecture while training with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin East in the 1930s. In the 1960s he moved to Salt Spring Island, BC, and became one of the most respected and productive architects on the Island. Ron Thom (1923-86) rose to prominence as a creative and cutting edge architect in post-War Vancouver. Deeply influenced by the principles of organic architecture, Thom’s Mayhew House (1951), one of his earliest designs, is also one of his few works on Vancouver Island. Ric Hunter (1930-2023) was an architect of uncommon vision and ability whose own spectacular house in Saanich is landmark achievement in local organic architecture.

Together, these architects and the four houses featured in this exhibit present a diverse and illustrative set of examples of how a house can embrace the landscape and the laws of the natural world while providing a comfortable, functional, and beautiful home for its occupants in the often challenging but highly rewarding environment of the Islands of the south coast of British Columbia.