Why does your home look the way it does? If you live in a condo, apartment or house in Metro Vancouver built at any time over the last 40 years, chances are your home took more than a few influences from a group of Vancouver architects whose work is being celebrated in a new online exhibit from the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC.

New Ways of Living comprises a fascinating essay and a selection of photos (many of which have never previously been published online) of some of Vancouver’s most creative and influential buildings. The exhibition was launched Thursday night at a gala event at Gastown’s Inform Interiors, where more than 200 guests (and 60 more hopeful architecture enthusiasts on the waiting list) gathered for a presentation and lively discussion hosted by the exhibition’s Curator, Chanel Blouin, and Michael Schwartz, the museum’s coordinator of programs and development.

“We have a running list of topics that we think would make interesting exhibits,” said Schwartz. “I knew there were a handful of prominent local architects who were also members of the Jewish community, so it seemed like a natural fit to investigate that.

“These architects responded to the environment in a way that no-one was doing previously. They were developing a local style for Vancouver. This exhibit examines how these architects drew inspiration from what was happening in California and along the West Coast and adapted it to our local environment.”

For Blouin, who is currently studying for her master's degree in art history at UBC, the influence of the architects featured is still felt on a daily basis in countless homes across Metro Vancouver.

“Of course we don’t all live in these cliffhanging pieces of modern architecture,” she said. “These aren’t houses that are built every day. They’re masterpieces and works of art. But a lot of influences and progressive ideas have trickled down to today’s architecture. Ribbon window in condos and apartments come from this period. The idea of open spaces and using the location as inspiration are prevalent today. Ecologically sensitive building is something that Cornelia Oberlander; a landscape architect who worked on the Vancouver Public Library, the Museum of Anthropology and Robson Square was particularly interested in. She wanted to respect the topography of the site she was working on. She’s 94 years old and still working hard.”

After a launch night that exceeded expectations, the exhibition’s organizers are hopeful that New Ways of Living opens fresh discussions about keeping these artistic treasures for future generations.

“Some of these houses are endangered as land prices here are so high,” Blouin said. “A lot of them aren’t heritage protected, so if people buy the land they can tear down the houses to build something more profitable. It’s so important to preserve these houses. They embody such important ideas.”

Schwartz echoed his agreement.

“They’re part of our civic history.”

News Ways of Living can be enjoyed for free at jewishmuseum.ca.