$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom property is located on a rocky mountainside in Naramata, in an area that was previously scorched by flames.
But the building, designed by acclaimed architect Omar Gandhi, has a fortress-like appearance intended to give an air of impermeability.
- Photo gallery: Armoured home in B.C.'s wildfire-prone Okanagan
Speaking to CTV News from his office in Halifax, Gandhi stressed that the home is not "fire-proof" – but does offer some degree of fire resistance that another home might not.
"It's going to buy you time," he said. "When there’s a forest fire, you know, it can come down to seconds and minutes to kind of find shelter or to actually evacuate."
Given the region's harsh summer heat – and the increasing threat of wildfires as global temperatures rise – local bylaws require the use of non-combustible materials such as cementitious boards for building exteriors.
Gandhi said he decided to lean into the requirement, going above and beyond with a quarter-inch corten steel barrier.
The architect, who is a fan of Star Wars, said the rust-coloured armour evokes the appearance of the Sandcrawler used by Jawas in the original 1977 film.
"It's kind of a menacing-looking figure in the landscape," Gandi said. "But at the same time, if you squint your eyes, it kind of becomes the landscape."
Described by Sotheby's International Realty as a "remote masterpiece," the 1,450-square-foot home features floor-to-ceiling windows, making the most of the property's elevated vantage point. The listing also promises sporadic views of roaming wildlife, from "elk and moose to the occasional mountain goat."
(Sotheby’s International Realty Canada)
Gandi said he's currently working on a number of other projects on the West Coast, including on Vancouver Island and in the Whistler area, but declined to provide details except to say his firm tends to seek out clients who are looking for a creative collaboration.
"We're just driven by fun – we love to tell these stories in the studio and imagine these kind of fantastical things," he said. "We're always looking for clients that I think are comfortable with the unknown, and seeing where it goes."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Trucker's body found in trailer in Newfoundland after failed police search in Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.