Article by Michelle Heslop. All photos by Nikki Jardine with the exception of bathroom images, living room/bedroom images and stairway/kitchen image, taken by Jody Beck.
Who says that it’s dangerous to mix business and friendship? Microsoft, Apple, and Twitter are perfect examples of exceptionally successful businesses that put this myth to rest. Childhood friends, Matt Jardine and Ryan Goodman, figured that if their friendship could survive a 22,000 kilometre drive in a 1994 Pontiac Sunbird to Panama City in 2005, they had a foundation solid enough to support a development business. Jardine, a construction veteran, and Goodman, an MBA graduate, formed a unique synergy with deep roots in building and in ambition.
A sure test of their relationship was the collaborative project that launched their working partnership: a contemporary duplex in Fairfield in 2012. The result is a modern live/work space for each of their families and the birth of ARYZE Developments. Since then, the two friends have assembled a skilled team to complete six other major developments, and their most recent success, Victoria’s new Patagonia design-build. With multiple new projects in the works, ARYZE proves that in such collaborations, both business and friendship can not only survive, but thrive.
One block from the Pacific Ocean at the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island, this architectural standout epitomizes contemporary west coast living. The dramatic oversized rooflines, incorporating intricate basket-weaved natural fir soffits, tie into the architectural screening with concrete and fir landscape details. The detail of the design pays homage to the craftsmanship of neighbouring heritage homes, while integrating natural materials to reflect the surrounding landscape. Not only did ARYZE design exterior features to add warmth and soften the contemporary exterior, but they added unique pedestrian-sized artistic elements to draw attention to the home’s entrance.
A unique, marble, pivot door marks the focal point of the home’s entrance. To suspend the five-by-three-foot slab of marble, ARYZE laminated and wrapped the stone in thick-edge grain fir. The soft, organic hue of the stone mimics the tone and texture of the rocky coastline that surrounds the neighbourhood. Drawing your eye to the marble slab, the pivot door is enclosed in a rake angled jam and backlit with LED lighting for a glowing outline. Completing the entrance, the oversized roofline incorporates a basket weaved fir soffit made of old growth fir sourced from Vancouver Island.
Adding to the aesthetic feast of the entrance, a sculptural rainwater collection installation frames the threshold. Instead of completely restricting water and directing it into a rainwater collection system, the water flows openly in full view and is carefully directed into an open catchment system below.
Rivalling the architectural details of the exterior, the interior boasts a floating staircase, heated white oak floors, soaring 18-foot ceilings, marble slab rain showers, and extensive architectural millwork throughout.
To accommodate their growing families, ARYZE built two bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, both with ocean and park views.
The second bedroom on the ‘park side’, streams in light, adding to the open and airy feel of this contemporary duplex.
Through the natural light-filled living room, french doors open to a sun-drenched patio overlooking a south facing back yard. Known for their use of local, reclaimed, natural materials, ARYZE included white oak floors, built-ins, and marble slabs to reflect the home’s stunning, natural surroundings.
For these busy families, the master bathroom was designed as a luxurious retreat using wooded marble slabs, thick tempered glass, and oversize plumbing to increase water pressure to the rain shower. A skylight was installed over the shower to flood the space with natural light and bring a sense of the outdoors in. The shower head is positioned in line with the skylight to accentuate the rain feel. Wooded marble was used throughout the bathroom with marble mosaic tile for the shower floor and marble tile set in a brick pattern on the floor. Jan Van Herwaarden‘s team fromIsland Floor Centre installed the slabs, shower and tile floors.
Sun and fresh sea-air merge in this undemanding, south-facing backyard. With a concrete deck off the living area, low maintenance landscaping, and a two car garage, ARYZE has considered all aspects of island life. Steps below the deck lead to a separate entrance to the downstairs which boasts a large media room and fourth bedroom. No stone was left unturned in this architecturally striking design and if you ever get a chance to talk to Jardine and Goodman, please do ask them about their trip to Panama City; it’s worth it.
Sustainable building initiatives include rain collection system, wool carpeting, energy efficient hydronic heating, natural building materials, low VOC paint. We laud ARYZE for their strict recycling mandates used throughout every construction process.
Most of this project was built by the in-house team (specifically Eric Vossen, David Stotz, Adrian Rohrbach): including the floatings stairs, kitchens/vanities, hardwood flooring install, and millwork.
