Property Watch: Ultimate concrete retreat on the market in Whistler

“Bunker” isn’t the first image that comes to mind when picturing Whistler homes. “Cottage”, sure. “Cabin,” yes. “Chalet”, of course. “House”, absolutely. But bunker?

“It’s unique because it speaks to the design theory of the home, which is basically this giant concrete bunker,” says realtor David Lewis of Angell Hasman & Associates, who’s handling the listing for the property in Whistler’s Bayshores neighbourhood. “The materials used are so over-engineered. There’s too much of everything everywhere, but in such a cool way.”

In addition to everything concrete, steel and glass everywhere, massive century-old, rough-cut timber beams reclaimed from a warehouse on Vancouver Island add warmth and history to the modern home.

Originally built in 2004 by the eighties punk band DOA as a creative space to write and record (hence the concrete), the current owners undertook a full-scale renovation in 2022. And they spared no expense doing it.

“They replaced the plumbing and electrical systems in the whole home,” says Lewis. “They completely revamped, redesigned, and reimagined all the climate control, installed two heat pump systems, and a super high-end radiator recirculating system that they brought in from England. It was previously heated by two wood fireplaces and baseboard heaters, but they didn’t think it was the most efficient way to make this property warm. So, they ran beautiful custom copper lines throughout. It’s basically this giant recirculating radiator system where even the piping feeding the radiators is designed to radiate heat off of the system itself.”

The owners didn’t stop there. Originally from Europe, they leaned heavily on the continent’s manufacturing expertise. In addition to the English radiator system, they installed a $240,000 kitchen from German manufacturer Bulthaup. “I’ve been selling homes in Whistler for 15 years, and this is only the second Bulthaup I’ve seen; the other one was in a $50 million home in [exclusive neighbourhood] Kadenwood,” says Lewis.

One of the owners, a German art dealer, “Is a very detail- oriented person. She has a great eye for this type of stuff. And her mindset was, if you’re going to do it, do it once, do it right.”

The fully renovated bathrooms are equipped with floating toilets and fixtures from German (naturally) maker Duravit, along with heated towel racks connected to the recirculating heat pump radiator system.

To artfully light up their space, they installed Bocci lights throughout the home at $10,000 a piece, and light switches from British company Buster & Punch for $140 each. Their $150,000 furniture package was custom created to fit the rooms.

A suspended catwalk leading from the main entrance over the office and into the kitchen was constructed from the same reclaimed timber as the beams.

The owners then replaced the garage door with a $30,000 custom-built design by a Finland company that makes aircraft hangar doors. “The garage opening is sufficiently wide but not super tall because there’s a huge steel beam [above],” says Lewis. “With a traditional garage door, you would lose about a foot when it rolls up. They had to leave that ceiling height, so the only option was to bring in this crazy custom door that essentially opens up like an accordion.”

The overall scale of what they created is a marvel, says Lewis. “They built an absolute masterpiece and, at this list price, they’re pretty much losing money. If you do a renovation of this calibre, you possibly will renovate yourself out of the market. But there’s an opportunity here to have a sensational home that you would have to do an incredible amount of work to try to replicate today.”

Lewis says the home is technically a duplex, which could accommodate two families or groups of friends. Or it could easily be combined into one big 4,200 square foot home. “The house is shaped like a big U, with two U shapes stacked on top of one another. It’s a very non-traditional duplex layout [but with] separate property identifiers, separate civic addresses, and separate self-contained entrances. Two families could buy it and have full total legal ownership over their part of it. Or you could have a really lovely three-bedroom upper home and rent the two-bedroom lower suite,” which the current owners do, for $6,000 a month.

What’s outside

The private lot is ensconced by a fully fenced lawn and a big sunny garden, as well as a lap pool and barrel sauna. Multiple live grass roofs, as well as a rooftop patio, overlook Alpha Lake and surrounding mountains. There are also other patios and decks around the home.

In the neighbourhood

The property is located in Whistler’s Bayshores neighbourhood, close to Creekside Village and gondola. “So even though you’re in this really nice, hidden, secluded part of Bayshores, you hop in your car and you’re about a two-minute drive to Creekside Village, where there’s a grocery store, liquor store, fine dining, shopping, coffee shops, gym and yoga,” says Lewis.

There are also several parks and hiking/biking trails nearby, as well as two elementary schools. For anything else, says Lewis, “In Whistler, everything is 10 minutes away.”

Location: 2177 Timber Ridge

Listed for: $5,988,000

Year built: 2004

Type: Five bedrooms, five bathrooms

Size: 4,200 square feet

Realtor: Listed by David Lewis, Angell Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.

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