Glass House

Presenting Glass House, a pioneering example of mid-century modern architecture, crafted by the renowned architects who shaped west-coast luminaries like Arthur Erickson and Ron Thom.

Situated in North Vancouver’s leafy Edgemont area, the residence marks a pivotal moment in Canadian architecture as one of the first modern homes in the region. Occupying a secluded, compound-like estate, and enveloped by a Palm Springs-inpired garden, the home creates a tranquil world, free from distractions. Its open plan and elegant structural expression are highlighted by generous skylights and expansive windows that frame the lush natural surroundings, seamlessly blending serenity with architectural innovation.

A private oasis fostering restful family living, Glass House awaits to inspire its next custodian.

1032 Ridgewood Dr
North Vancouver, BC

Neighbourhood
Edgemont Village

Designer
Thompson, Berwick, Pratt & Partners

Designed and Built
1950

Price
$2,695,000

Specification
Mid-century Modern

Program
West Coast Modern

Floors
1 level

Rooms
4 Bed 1.5 Bath

Building
2,059 sqft
Lot
8,050 sqft

Monograph Brochure

Floor Plan

Introducing Glass House, one of the first modern houses in Vancouver created by Thompson, Berwick, Pratt & Partners (TBP&P), the pivotal firm that brought modernism to the Canadian west coast.

Ned Pratt, an influential proponent of the International Style of 20th-century architecture, was instrumental in developing a clean-lined, regional architecture that represented the modern way of life.

Under his wing, a young generation of Canada’s most notable architects, such as Barry Downs, Arthur Erickson, Ron Thom, and Fred Hollingsworth, continued to shape our region’s architecture with the same rationalist and pragmatic design approach.

**Featured in the Modern Houses of North Vancouver 1930-1965, Glass House captures a historical moment in Vancouver’s architectural history.**

Glass House, known as the Ritchie Residence, cited as a primary building on the North Shore heritage registers:

Modern Architecture of North Vancouver 1930-1965, p.38

Ned Pratt on designing residential architecture specific to the locality of the Canadian west coast:

Modern Architecture of North Vancouver 1930-1965

On the influence of Ned Pratt:

“Charles Edward (Ned) Pratt maintained that ‘these houses represent untiring efforts on the part of the architects to persuade the client into the contemporary frame of mind’. Pratt’s interest was in the use of a strongly-expressed structure as an ordering element, which allowed the wall to be filled with modular windows and panels. Along with his associate Robert Alexander Dean Berwick, Pratt helped to revitalize the established firm of Sharp and Thompson after becoming partners in 1945, turning it into the leading exponent of the modern style in Canada.”

– West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945-1975

“Ned Pratt and Berwick hired me and others. He hired everyone: Erickson, Hollingsworth. Everyone worked there — it was sort of the graduate school.”

– Barry Downs, North Shore News, April 19, 2015

Thompson, Berwick, Pratt & Partners

Thompson Berwick and Pratt and Partners is an architectural firm that was founded in 1908 as Sharp and Thompson. The firm played a pivotal role in Vancouver and Canadian Architecture and began as an incubator for some of the most notable Canadian architects such as Barry Downs, Arthur Erickson, Fred Hollingsworth and Ron Thom. The firm became known for winning the 1913 international competition for the UBC Point Grey Campus master plan as well as becoming the university's official architecture firm.

Robert A.D. Berwick and Charles Edward (Ned) Pratt later joined the firm in 1937, which switched the firm's style to European modernism. Ned Pratt was an influential proponent of the clean-lined International Style of 20th century architecture. Notable projects include the Dal Grauer Substation, the first modernist building in the Vancouver’s West End, and the game-changer BC Electric Building, designed in collaboration with B.C. Binning. It closed in 1990.