A home in BC's Okanagan with a weather-resistant steel cladding designed to protect against wildfires has been listed for sale for $3.8 million.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom house is located on a rocky slope in Naramata, in an area previously destroyed by fire.
However, the building, designed by famous architect Omar Gandhi, has a fortress-like appearance intended to create an impermeable atmosphere.
Speaking to CTV News from his office in Halifax, Gandhi emphasized that the house is not “fireproof” – but does have a degree of fire resistance that other homes may not have.
“It will buy you more time,” he said. “You know, when there's a wildfire, it can take seconds and minutes to find shelter or actually evacuate.”
With the region's extreme summer heat – and the growing threat of wildfires as global temperatures rise – local regulations require the use of non-combustible materials such as cement board for exterior construction. outside the building.
Gandhi said he decided to meet this requirement, going above and beyond the barrier of quarter-inch-thick corten steel.
The architect, a Star Wars fan, said the rust-colored armor evokes the appearance of the Sand Crawler used by Jawas in the original 1977 film.
“It's a threatening-looking figure in this scene,” Gandi said. “But at the same time, if you squint, it becomes a landscape.”
Described by Sotheby's International Realty as a “remote masterpiece,” the 1,450-square-foot home features floor-to-ceiling windows, taking full advantage of the building's elevation. List also promises sporadic views of roaming wildlife, from “moose and moose to the occasional mountain goat.”
(Sotheby's International Realty Canada)
Gandi said he is currently working on several other projects on the West Coast, including Vancouver Island and the Whistler area, but declined to provide details other than to say his company is looking to clients looking for creative collaboration.
“We're just driven by fun – we love telling these stories in the studio and imagining these kinds of fantasies,” he said. “We're always looking for clients who I think are comfortable with the unknown and seeing where it goes.”
