This Must Be The Place: The Carmichael House

Introducing “This Must Be The Place”, a film series from Department of Interest documenting West Coast Modern homes and the stories and people behind them.

Over the past few decades, Vancouver has witnessed the devastating loss of numerous modernist homes to demolition. This series is dedicated to preserving the remaining architectural gems through filmmaking, while fostering awareness and support for their restoration and preservation.

Our first instalment is The Carmichael House by Ron Thom completed in 1956. Lovingly restored by Jan Pidhirny and Jim Ferguson, the Carmichael is a superb example of how to preserve a home’s original design ethos while thoughtfully updating it for modern living.

I would like to extend our gratitude to Jan and Jim for opening up their lovely home to us here at The Department and sharing their journey with it. Thanks is also due to their son Nash, and Steve Gairns from the West Coast Modern League for helping put us in touch.