CALGARY, CANADA

This residence fills a long, narrow site on the Elbow River in an eclectic residential neighborhood of downtown Calgary. From the outside, the house features a play of masses that differentiate the interior spaces. Inside the house steps down, following the slope of the site, opening to a wall-to-wall view of the river. Levels, not walls, define the interior spaces. A small courtyard, notched from the footprint, leads to the entry, situated midway along the length of the house. The entry opens to the focal architectural feature of the interior – an elegant staircase ascending from the entry to the private living spaces on the floor above.