Houses Made of Wood and Light by Michele Dunkerley

Author:Michele Dunkerley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 2012-01-25T05:00:00+00:00

Schubart on-site during excavation and clearing, 1980s. He seemed to enjoy that process nearly as much as architectural design. Photograph courtesy of Robert Barnard Design, Ltd.

What a dramatic contrast the Kaiser projects must have presented to Schubart’s simpler Salt Spring projects. Because the Kaiser projects were far from the island, Schubart hired local architects to oversee building, and Kaiser company engineers reviewed the technical plans. In Schubart’s words: “In all of the work that I did with Kaiser, Sr., the entire building process was vetted by Kaiser engineers . . . and they undertook to do not only the construction, but also all of this other surrounding matter of compliance with codes and local arrangements with building authorities.”4

In 1972, Schubart began work on a Kaiser project closer to home, in Vancouver. A single ferry crossing or a short floatplane ride from Salt Spring, the home was designed for Edgar Kaiser, Jr., the eldest son. Located on Belmont Avenue, one of Vancouver’s most prestigious residential streets, the house was sited below street level with a garden view across English Bay. Hidden from public view were the hand-carved wooden railings and—incredibly—gold-plated pipes for the plumbing. In the 1980s, Schubart began work on a second Kaiser Jr. home, also located on Belmont Avenue. Designed in 1985 and completed in 1988, it contained nearly twenty thousand square feet and was destined to be the last Schubart project for the Kaiser family.

On Christmas Day 1988, just months after Kaiser Jr. moved into the second Belmont Avenue house, a fire engulfed large portions of the house when a Christmas tree caught fire. The tree, nine to ten feet tall and about six feet wide, was covered with more than seven hundred lights. The house suffered extensive damage, and many of its contents were lost. As a consequence, Kaiser Jr. sued the City of Vancouver as well as various contractors, including masonry, plumbing, and electrical contractors; Schubart and his son Michael, who worked on design drafts; the builder; and even the florist who delivered the Christmas trees. It was the only lawsuit in which Schubart was named as a defendant during his long career. The suit dragged on for several years, and in the end, Schubart settled the case rather than endure the litigation. Kaiser Jr. sold the house and lot, and the new owners hired Schubart as a consulting architect for the rebuilt residence.

By 1988, Sue and Edgar Sr. were both deceased. Schubart had built another house on Orcas for a second daughter and had consulted on potential, though ultimately unbuilt, homes for other Kaiser family members. Schubart also designed a memorial for Sue Kaiser, intended for the family’s Orcas acreage. The Kaiser-Schubart relationship, long and productive and, in many ways, a bridge to Schubart’s successful practice on Salt Spring, was coming to a close. His work for the family provided him with financial support and opportunities for creativity that were essential during his early days on the island. Despite the hardships of travel, the work gave full vent to his skill and imagination.

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