A special studio featuring an Urban Front door

What was the brief for your home office?
To design a studio for two on our property with space to expand to possibly six people. The footprint is 675 square feet (63 m2) including a small conference space, toilet, kitchen, and work area. Despite being prominently located at the very front of the site, we wanted views of the surrounding forest with minimal openings to the entry court, front of our home, and the road. The property is bounded on three sides by a forested park and the entrance needed to be easy to find without competing with the house. We wanted people new to the site to intuitively understand which structure to go to. 

What’s the proximity between your home and office?
About 50 feet door to door – short enough to dash through the rain without a coat but far enough to separate our work and home life.

How did you meet the brief?
Well, we did design it! We had some internal battles and a few different schemes, but it was easily settled once the basic design was locked in. The studio encloses the entry court and creates views into the forest that are different from the house views, making it seem like a different place.

Do the two buildings look similar?
The studio is complementary in finish and massing, but it is a modern take on traditional residential details. The house is painted board and batten siding; the studio is stained cedar with a unique pattern of vertical siding with alternating-sized battens to give it more visual texture despite the dark colour. The metal roof hides the gutter internally and the warm wood of the front door gives human scale in the perfect spot, the entrance.

What’s the area like?
We are in a residential area with winding roads and hilly terrain. It’s hard to believe we are four miles from the city centre – we can cycle downtown in fifteen minutes. We have a city park on three sides with 150-foot tall Douglas firs, Western Red Cedar, and Oregon White Oaks. Two creek ravines run down each side of the non-roadway property lines, so the land slopes down and away into the forest.

We see a variety of birds and animals including deer, coyotes, and the ubiquitous squirrels. There is a trailhead nearby that attracts walkers, and we often see them pause and point at our studio before heading on to the forest.

How did you hear about Urban Front?
We became aware of Urban Front about 18 years ago when we founded Christie Architecture. We were looking online for cool door inspiration and found Urban Front. We always wanted to use one on a client’s project, but there was never the right fit, time, or budget. When it came time to build our own studio, we thought, ‘Hey, maybe we can get an Urban Front door!’

Why did you choose an Urban Front door?
The studio is very simple, and the front door is the most prominent feature so it had to be awesome. And it is: everyone who comes to the studio comments on how much they love the door.

How many people work for Christie Architecture?
There are four of us: Lisa and I, and two young architects. The company was founded by Lisa in 2004 and I joined in 2013. Working for ourselves has been a dream since leaving architecture school.

What type of projects do you typically work on?
Around 90% of our work is residential. We also do some small commercial projects, as we can. Commercial projects we take on need to be appropriately scaled and with enough design interest to offer some creative opportunities.

Why did you choose the hardwood iroko?
We knew we were going to have an Ipe boardwalk leading to the door and, the iroko seemed the most complementary choice. The woods work well together and have aged similarly. Both are going strong through a variety of weather conditions.

Are you happy with your door choice eight years on? Does it feel built to last?
Yes! The door is very solid and secure. We should oil it more often, but to be honest, it’s been pretty bomber.