The hint is in the name; Camera House is a family retreat designed specifically to majestically frame its lush rural environment, nestled in the green expanses of Pemberton Valley in British Columbia, Canada. The home was created by Vancouver-based Leckie Studio, the dynamic practice behind works such as Vancouver House penthouse's minimalist architecture and a local dermatology clinic's striking interior, and led by principal Michael Leckie. In the case of Camera House, the firm drew on the plot's verdant location to form connections between the architecture and its surroundings.
Camera House by Leckie Studio
'The Camera House acts a lens for its environment. It is a spatial device to heighten perception, capturing incoming light and guiding the inhabitants to live in close connection with their surroundings,' its architects explain. And the five-acre forested site, situated between the Lillooet and Garibaldi mountain ranges, certainly lends itself to such a treatment.
Respecting the existing terrain, the architects designed Camera House on an incline, leaving the land's natural slope untouched. Carefully chosen cladding using flat sawn and brushed Western red cedar with a dark stain finish allows the structure to remain discreet and feel at home among the trees and natural colours of the surrounding woods. A low and unassuming overall volume shape reinforces this approach.
The home includes two bedrooms, a flexible family room, a swimming pool, an outdoor dining area, and a detached workshop; these are supported by generous circulation areas, utilities, and storage. At the same time, visual links and outdoor areas and openings towards the context have been crafted throughout. 'The house is imagined as an optical camera, allowing the inhabitant to experience three distinct fields of vision as they move through the spaces,' the architecture team writes.
Camera House's multitude of openings also help support optimal passive heating and cooling strategies. Meanwhile photovoltaic panels on the home's sloping roofs, provide power for household needs and an electric car charging station on site. 'Ultimately, this is a house which seeks to leave a minimal footprint, while magnifying the ways that our source of shelter might elevate experience,' the architects conclude on the home's sustainable architecture concept.
-
A 432 Park Avenue apartment is an art-filled family home among the cloudsAt 432 Park Avenue, inside and outside compete for starring roles; welcome to a skyscraping, art-filled apartment in Midtown Manhattan
-
Kitchen Trends 2026: luminosity, colour, and unexpected materialityThese are kitchen trends shaping interior design in 2026, from collaborative kitchens to warm luminosity
-
A gallery in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales showcases work inspired by natureThorns Gallery opens in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, with founders Jonathan Reed and Graeme Black aiming to showcase artworks inspired by the natural world
-
In Canada, The Nest is a three-dimensional puzzle redefining remote livingOn a wooded site on the country’s West Coast, this prefabricated retreat designed by Daria Sheina Studio is a nurturing space for low-impact living
-
Discover Canadian modernist Daniel Evan White’s pitch-perfect homesCanadian architect Daniel Evan White (1933-2012) had a gift for using the landscape to create extraordinary homes; revisit his story in an article from the Wallpaper* archives (first published in 2011)
-
A new Québec house blends open-plan living with far-reaching viewsThe Mountainside Residence is anchored into its sloping site by a concrete plinth, above which sits a main living space with tall ceilings and walls of glass
-
Four super-refined Nova Scotia ‘bunkies’ are unforgettable architectural retreatsMacKay-Lyons Sweetapple has completed a collection of elevated guest cabins – named Ridge On The Chimney – on the rugged Nova Scotian coast, all bookable for a stay
-
Smoke Lake Cabin is an off-grid hideaway only accessible by boatThis Canadian cabin is a modular and de-mountable residence, designed by Anya Moryoussef Architect (AMA) and nestled within Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario
-
Ten contemporary homes that are pushing the boundaries of architectureA new book detailing 59 visually intriguing and technologically impressive contemporary houses shines a light on how architecture is evolving
-
Explore the Perry Estate, a lesser-known Arthur Erickson project in CanadaThe Perry estate – a residence and studio built for sculptor Frank Perry and often visited by his friend Bill Reid – is now on the market in North Vancouver
-
A new lakeshore cottage in Ontario is a spectacular retreat set beneath angled zinc roofsFamily Cottage by Vokac Taylor mixes spatial gymnastics with respect for its rocky, forested waterside site
