Photos by Lucas Inacio and Imu Chan. Words by Michelle Heslop.
From its hillside setting in Burnaby North, the Dunlop Residence by Imu Chan Architecture balances quiet privacy with generous spaces for connection, blending tradition and modernity in a home designed for both everyday life and entertaining. Designed for a family returning to Canada after a decade abroad, the 4,500-square-foot home serves as both a permanent retreat and a future-ready, multi-generational residence.
The house reads as a series of horizontal planes that quietly anchor it within the sloping terrain. A sweeping canopy and projecting balcony articulate the rectilinear forms of the interior, while strip windows filter light and provide privacy. Concrete steps and planted terraces guide visitors along a measured ascent, rooting the home in the site’s natural contours. A vertical corner window marks the stairwell, offering a subtle vertical counterpoint to the horizon lines.
Flexibility and longevity guided the architectural planning. The basement is designed as a potential independent suite, and provisions for a future elevator and accessible bathroom ensure that the home evolves with the family’s changing needs. These considerations allow for everyday routines, extended family visits and long-term comfort.
Materiality emphasizes warmth and restraint where a textured grey stucco façade meets light beechwood aluminum soffits and cladding, while Kolbe windows frame expansive views of the North Shore mountains and Vancouver skyline. Inside, a double-height atrium opens to interconnected living spaces. White oak cabinetry, Dekton surfaces and a secondary wok kitchen balance elegance with practicality. A 12-foot skylight and linear fireplace punctuate the central living area.
The Dunlop Residence exemplifies a modern West Coast sensibility—quiet, confident and adaptable. It celebrates proportion and light, creating a home that feels ready to embrace the rhythms of family life.
