{"id":27020,"date":"2015-04-13T11:39:09","date_gmt":"2015-04-13T18:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/?p=27020"},"modified":"2018-10-15T07:47:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-15T14:47:50","slug":"made-vancouver-experience-vancouver-special","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2015\/04\/13\/made-vancouver-experience-vancouver-special\/","title":{"rendered":"A Made-in-Vancouver Experience: The Vancouver Special"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere\u2019s a shared sense of experience that comes from living in a Vancouver Special that\u2019s uniquely Vancouver and that cuts across so many diverse communities and unites us\u201d – Naveen Girn, Restoring Community, 2014<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The humble Vancouver Special has reclaimed respect in recent years, partly stemming from a renewed pride in our city and the unique role of the Specials, which have kitsch value and retro style. The large number of makeovers prove there is life in them yet. But this basic housing style is more than just a house to many, as those who remember growing up in one seem to maintain an eternal soft spot for them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When they were first designed, the Special was more than just another housing style \u2013 it was a solution to a number of developments. Changing building by-laws, changes to Canadian immigration laws and a burgeoning population all influenced the final form. Much of the design of the Special can be attributed to attempts to minimize costs while maximizing both lot size and square footage, resulting in flatter roofs, an interior staircase leading to top floor living space (versus the long exterior staircase of earlier styles), and full utilization of the basement level, which was now mostly above ground. The identifiable fa\u00e7ade can be attributed to changes in the Vancouver building by-laws which required more substantial fire-proofing on new homes. This meant wood siding and wood-frame windows were replaced with fire-retardant brick or stone, stucco, and aluminum windows. For more information related to this topic, click here and find a south bay roofing company<\/a> today.<\/p>\n

However, this practical house style earned its place in the collective heart of the city due to changes to the Canadian Immigration Act in 1967. A points system was introduced, meant to remove racial discrimination and prejudice, which judged potential immigrants on their language and skill qualifications. This change resulted in a major shift from mainly European immigrants to those from Asian countries. As these new immigrants came to the west coast, they were faced with the challenge of finding their way in a new country and finding their place in a new city.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo Credit: VHF Restoring Community, 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The houses were also easily adapted, more so than any previous Vancouver housing style, to the large, extended families of many immigrants. The lower floor could easily be used as a separate suite to help with the mortgage, or could house aunts, uncles or grandparents, while the open plans lent themselves to communal family activities. This adaptability has continued through two generations of owners, proving the worth of the Specials to a growing, changing city.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo Credit: Family Photo via Restoring Community, courtesy Naveen Girn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

In VHF\u2019s Restoring Community <\/em>documentary, Cultural Researcher Naveen Girn proposes it was incredibly important for new immigrants to find a sense of home. The shared history between migrant communities of living in similar spaces at a particular moment in time creates a sense of \u2018sameness\u2019 that unites people across cultures. They built the same, they lived the same, they celebrated in the same spaces, and they collectively imagined their futures in these similar spaces. This ability to relate with their neighbours helped new families find their place and build stronger communities. For those who remember growing up in a Special, that sense of home and the nostalgia for the past has permanent ties to the housing style.<\/p>\n

The sheer proliferation of the style meant that a large number of Vancouverites now share this connection. For any one of them, walking into a Vancouver Special, any Vancouver Special, instantly offers a connection to those childhood memories and that sense of belonging. Charles Demars expertly sums up the experience in his 2009 book, Vancouver Special: <\/em>\u201cMy parents had brought me home \u2026to the rented ground floor of a Vancouver Special on Kaslo Street. It was a made-in-Vancouver epiphany\u2026our neighbours would leave buckets of backyard tomatoes on our windowsill\u201d.<\/p>\n

Come enjoy the \u201cVancouver Experience\u201d for yourself at Vancouver Heritage Foundation\u2019s Vancouver Special House Tour<\/a>. On Saturday, April 18th<\/sup> from 1 \u2013 5pm we\u2019ll offer the chance to tour inside five Specials that have been reinvented for the modern family. You can also view the entire 10-minute Vancouver Special segment of Restoring Community<\/em>, here<\/a> or the complete 30-minute film here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Research Credits:<\/span>
\nVanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years<\/em>. Michael Kluckner, 2012.<\/span>
\nRestoring Community.<\/em> Vancouver Heritage Foundation, 2013.<\/span>
\nVancouver Special<\/em>. Charles Demars, 2009.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special thanks to Michael Kluckner and Naveen Girn for their research, insights and assistance in writing this blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere\u2019s a shared sense of experience that comes from living in a Vancouver Special that\u2019s uniquely Vancouver and that cuts across so many diverse communities and unites us\u201d – Naveen Girn, Restoring Community, 2014.   The humble Vancouver Special has reclaimed respect in recent years, partly stemming from a renewed pride in our city andContinue reading “A Made-in-Vancouver Experience: The Vancouver Special”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6073,"featured_media":27024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11230,15,11233,24,35],"tags":[513,254,270,11596,214],"class_list":["post-27020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-community","category-culture","category-history","category-housing","category-spacing","tag-culture-2","tag-heritage","tag-history-2","tag-special","tag-vancouver-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Made-in-Vancouver Experience: The Vancouver Special - Spacing Vancouver<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Exploring the unifying Vancouver experience found in our very own architectural style; 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