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Architect Barry Downs's former home lists for $4.6M in West Vancouver

Downs House II is at risk of demolition, listing agent says

He was an architect behind some of the region’s most iconic landmarks – Canada Place, Library Square, and the former North Vancouver City Civic Centre – and now you can buy his iconic former home.

Downs House II, which was built by Barry Downs for himself in 1979, listed on the market on Friday for just shy of $4.6 million.

Situated on a half-acre lot 6664 Marine Dr. in West Vancouver, the 1,464-square-foot home features two bedrooms and two bathrooms. An attached studio unit has another bathroom and kitchenette.

The modestly sized structure sits on a cliff 120 feet above Garrow Bay. The waterfront home features post and beam construction, with large windows throughout and an exterior clad in cedar shingles.

Downs lived in the home until he died in July 2022 at age 92.

While other properties designed by Downs’s firm are on West Vancouver’s heritage register, the 6664 Marine Dr. home is not. That makes it a prime target for redevelopment if an architecture-loving buyer isn’t found, says listing agent Trent Rodney.

Downs partnered with fellow West Coast Modern architect Fred Hollingsworth in the 1960s before launching DA Architects + Planners with Richard Archambault in 1969. With several famous projects under his belt, including the site of Expo 86, Downs received the Order of Canada in 2014.