PEDESTAL HOUSE
Deliverables
Photography
Photography
As warm summer light settled along the coast and the sound of the tide drifted softly through the trees, a visit to Pedestal House unfolded.
First built in 1981 by the late Peter Cardew, one of Canada’s most revered modernist architects, the home was Cardew’s first residential commission. Perched above Howe Sound in Lions Bay, it once stood as a raw and radical expression of West Coast Modern. For years, it remained relatively hidden. But now, remastered by its current owner – TOK Design Studio, it returns quietly, intentionally, and with a story to tell.
I was honored to capture this next chapter through a series of editorial and lifestyle images - documenting not just a house, but the presence of life within it. The owner, a passionate steward of modernist design, preserved its architectural bones while layering in a warmth that feels deeply personal. Steel meets cedar, shadow meets sea light, and every frame of glass becomes an invitation to look outward - and inward.
The result is not a renovation, but a careful reawakening. A place where modernism breathes again. Where time slows. Where the home, once still, begins to live again through touch, thought, and thoughtful design.
First built in 1981 by the late Peter Cardew, one of Canada’s most revered modernist architects, the home was Cardew’s first residential commission. Perched above Howe Sound in Lions Bay, it once stood as a raw and radical expression of West Coast Modern. For years, it remained relatively hidden. But now, remastered by its current owner – TOK Design Studio, it returns quietly, intentionally, and with a story to tell.
I was honored to capture this next chapter through a series of editorial and lifestyle images - documenting not just a house, but the presence of life within it. The owner, a passionate steward of modernist design, preserved its architectural bones while layering in a warmth that feels deeply personal. Steel meets cedar, shadow meets sea light, and every frame of glass becomes an invitation to look outward - and inward.
The result is not a renovation, but a careful reawakening. A place where modernism breathes again. Where time slows. Where the home, once still, begins to live again through touch, thought, and thoughtful design.
Just a short walk from Pedestal House lies another expression of thoughtful, quiet modernism; this time, a home designed by the current owner for their mother. While the scale is more intimate, the language remains the same: restrained lines, softened light, and an enduring sense of calm.
This home, like its counterpart at Pedestal House, carries the same foundational belief: that design is an extension of care. That the best spaces are those built with patience, presence, and a deep understanding of how we move through a day.
In documenting it, I wasn’t just photographing a home – I was witnessing a form of love made physical.
This home, like its counterpart at Pedestal House, carries the same foundational belief: that design is an extension of care. That the best spaces are those built with patience, presence, and a deep understanding of how we move through a day.
In documenting it, I wasn’t just photographing a home – I was witnessing a form of love made physical.
“We don't think one can experience the house truly in such a short time. It is a very dynamic house, and the play of light throughout the day is marvellous. The view, the light, and the sky change constantly. It is different in the morning when the sun streams through the skylight. Different as it come up over the valley of the Lions, different each moment as the sun swings around from East to West, and each day we end with a magnificent sunset that is just hard to put into words.”
Byron Tokarchuk & Anja Henche, TOK Design Studio
Byron Tokarchuk & Anja Henche, TOK Design Studio
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