Hunter Office Architecture uses Hindu "science of architecture" to arrange British Columbia house
Canadian firm Hunter Office Architecture has built a stilted concrete house with ample glazing, which has a layout influenced by a traditional Hindu organisational system.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_18-852x1278.jpg)
Located in Britannia Beach, a small town north of Vancouver, the secluded Stilt House was designed using guidelines from the Hindu system known as Vastu shastra – which translates as "science of architecture" – upon the owners' request.
This system, described in ancient texts, dictates that the home should integrate with nature, while implementing symmetry and directional alignments.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_19-852x568.jpg)
"It required the main axis of the house to be aligned along the north-south axis and orient each space towards the central open courtyard," said Hunter Office Architecture founder Chris Hunter.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_8-852x1278.jpg)
Therefore, the two-storey, 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) home wraps around a courtyard in a U-shape. Concrete pillars support a portion of the upper storey, and are constructed on granite bedrock, allowing waters from a nearby creek to flow underneath the home.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x1278.jpg)
"Initially, this was a massive design hurdle to overcome, however it quickly became a key experiential character of the house," said the architect.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_34-852x568.jpg)
A black metal staircase leads from the open courtyard area to the upper floor, where the main living spaces are found. This arrangement creates a treehouse feel, with views of the surrounding nature in nearly every space.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x568.jpg)
On this level, a living and dining room occupies one wing, two bedrooms and bathrooms fit into the other, while the kitchen takes up the adjoining space. A covered balcony connects the other ends of the wings, enclosing the courtyard. Downstairs, there's room for an art studio and a fermenting cellar.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x568.jpg)
A corrugated roof tops the structure and is a subtle reference to a Balinese mountain house, a feature also requested by the owners. Black-stained cedar cladding surrounds the raised portion of the house, while the concrete structure is left exposed below.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_27-852x568.jpg)
For interior decor, light pine wood features throughout, from kitchen cabinetry to interior cladding and flooring. Poured concrete floors are found in the kitchen and bedroom.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_11-852x568.jpg)
Hunter Office Architecture was founded in 2014 and is based in Squamish, a small town very close to Britannia Beach. The firm designs family houses and vacation cabins in the area.
![Stilt House by Hunter Office Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/stilt-house-hunter-office-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_21-852x568.jpg)
British Columbia's dramatic landscape draws artists and holiday makers from across the world. Its forested terrain is also home to a small wooden artist's cabin, while in its winemaking region, an angled, metal-clad building for a vineyard steps down a hillside.
Photography is by Provoke Studios.