BLA Design Group has completed a modern barn house for a young family in British Columbia, Canada. Its centre is a tall, atrium-like living space under a vaulted ceiling, planned to encourage activity and keep the family connected.
Two volumes on an irregular site
The house stands on an irregular lot at the end of a cul-de-sac. Instead of one large block, the design splits the programme into two main forms: one holds the garage and the other the home. A glass hallway joins them.
The front door opens straight into this glazed link, so the first view on entering is out to the yard.
A vaulted ceiling over living, dining and kitchen
Living, dining and kitchen share one open space whose vaulted ceiling reaches a peak of 25 feet (7 m). A large window follows the gable outline of the house and connects the room with the greenery of the rear yard. A black fireplace sits in a corner of the living area.
From the kitchen, a door leads to a covered patio with space for outdoor dining and lounging.
A mezzanine above
An open staircase climbs to the second floor, where a mezzanine looks down over the living areas. It works as a place to relax or study while staying in touch with what happens below.
Bedroom and en-suite
In one of the bedrooms, blue artwork adds colour and a pendant light replaces a bedside lamp. The en-suite bathroom has a double vanity, a walk-in shower enclosed in glass and a freestanding bathtub by the window.
Why vaulted ceilings work in family homes
As a general design point, a double-height room with a vaulted ceiling gives a family a shared core: sound and sightlines carry between levels, so a mezzanine or upper landing stays part of daily life. Pairing the volume with a gable-shaped window, as here, brings in daylight and frames the garden, while lower spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms remain more intimate by contrast.
Project credits
- Project: modern barn house, British Columbia, Canada
- Design: BLA Design Group
- Builder: Vantac Management
- Photography: Andrew Latreille
- Source: Contemporist