Skip to main content

Favourite Plans - South

Here is another installment in the series on my favourite plans. This time, I am venturing southward. I have to admit that I have pushed the boundaries of the mid-century a bit and included some plans from the early 1980s - but they are so great that I just had to share!

In the 1970s Minto began building in Barrhaven Common. Their designs were quite unique, and the most striking features of the façades are the roof lines. Many of these designs were also built in Orleans Wood.

My favourite features of this particular design are the sunken living room and the main floor bedroom.




The Pinewood is essentially the same plan as the Orchard, only with 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Similar versions of these plans were built as semi-detached houses as well.




What a great roof line with the chimney as a punctuation point. Notice the bar in the basement recreation room!




I find it interesting that the "Chateau Collection" implies a traditional French manor, yet the plans in the collection are quite modern. I love the profile of this house with its strong roof line.




The facade of this design makes the side-split plan quite contemporary.




c. 1977. Campeau, Rolling Meadows (Barrhaven).
This is a unique take on the side-split. The design is really a bungalow over the two-car garage, with a large family room to the side.





c. 1970s

This Barrhaven design above has a very large living room and family room, which is in stark contrast to the small kitchen and dining room.

c. 1981. Riverside Park/Mooney's Bay.
In Riverside Park/Mooney's Bay, Urbandale built a handful of houses with large windows for solar gain. There are also a couple in Amberwood (Stittsville). Only a few were built. I wonder why?










c. 1978, Riverside Park/Mooney's Bay.
This design has a very mid-century modern front portion with vaulted ceiling. The back almost looks like an addition built on - but it was built that way originally.




c. 1977. Urbandale, Riverside Park/Mooney's Bay
The Urbandale semi-detached houses in Riverside Park have some unique designs, like this split level.




c. 1974. Riverside Park.
Also in Riverside Park, these townhouses would have been quite luxurious for the time, with main-floor family rooms, 4 bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms.




c. 1979. Tartan, Hunt Club.
These houses built in Hunt Club are in the top 10 of my absolute favourite plans in Ottawa. I only have these early versions of the plans - but I know the designs were tweaked somewhat when built. They are an interesting solution to narrow-lot housing.














c.1979. Campeau, Hunt Club Woods.
This is a very unique split -level design with a top-level den. The lack of an private ensuite is curious for such a large and luxurious house.




The plans built by Campeau in Hunt Club Woods in the late 1970s and early 1980s are very much influenced by 1970s California design. In fact, some of the plans are exactly the same as those built in California.

Around 1978, the California builder, Lusk, constructed a community of homes in Orange Country called Nohl Ranch. Below is the Bennington plan by Lusk.

Below is the Bennington plan by Campeau in Hunt Club Woods.

Below is Lusk's Clarendon model in California. 


Below is Campeau's Clarendon model in Hunt Club Woods.





I am not sure if the plans were blatantly copied, or if they were bought from the designer.




c. 1979. Campeau, Hunt Club Woods.
So, these are not mid-century modern designs, but I wanted to include them as I think they are such interesting designs. If you have ever wondered about the big manor houses off of Uplands near Riverside - they are actually 3 houses in 1. The 3 plans each have lofts that overlook the living space below - although some have bedrooms instead of open lofts. In Beaverbrook, Kanata, similar designs were also built - but not by Campeau.







Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 13, 2015 at 4:17 PM

    Love the blog! Stumbled on it while looking for stock photos or layout plans for those 60-70's era Campeau semis in South Keys or towards Qualicum / Pinecrest and other areas of town.

    (these things: https://www.google.com/maps/place/3427+southgate+road/@45.355393,-75.648505,3a,75y,65.1h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLwZRf4mAOK8oeJQjkE-lmA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x25f1fdaf266c252d!6m1!1e1 )

    I live in one in Southkeys - parents were the original buyers. Didn't find anything on the blog or online, but still its neat to see all the brochures, designs and layouts - I see all these homes 40-50 years later everyday. Somewhere packed away I think we still have the Campeau complementary champagne flutes they gave new owners.

    The homes are certainly dated to an era and are very sectioned compared to the open concepts of today, but their build quality was quite resilient (other than the fact many used aluminim wiring and asbestos-based wall drywall joint compound, and insulation was minimal - as was code at the time). The rooms in the semis are small and its a challenge to renovate since you really want to take out walls to open up the space. That said, if I can get a good kitchen reno design and build, given that there are probably 100+ identical plans to my house in Ottawa, I think the reno contractor/designer could make a good business of doing the work - its always time to renovate these houses.

    Peace
    R in Southkeys

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SaulJuly 19, 2015 at 2:09 PM

      Thanks for the comments! It has inspired my latest post: http://modernrealtor.blogspot.ca/2015/07/1960s-1970s-campeau-semis.html

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMarch 17, 2021 at 12:43 PM

    Any idea what builder/model this is? (3025 Southmore Drive East)? I've also seen an identical model (a fixer-upper though) in the West End that sold last all (30 Abingdon Drive)?

    It kind of looks like the Alderwood from the outside, but has a significantly different floor plan.

    https://www.remax.ca/on/ottawa-real-estate/3025-southmore-e-drive-wp_id290444393-lst

    Thanks

    M, from the Beacon Hill Garden Homes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saul SvirplysMarch 19, 2021 at 2:51 PM

      It is the Carlyle plan by Campeau. The plan can be seen in this post: https://modernrealtor.blogspot.com/2019/10/campeau-in-mid-1960s.html

      Take care,
      Saul

      Delete

Post a Comment

Most viewed posts

Campeau in Alta Vista

One of the biggest builders in Ottawa during the 1950s and 1960s was Campeau Construction, a name still known today, even though the builder is no longer active. Many of the houses in Alta Vista were custom built, but Campeau was one of the first builders to construct tract homes in the area. Approximate locations of areas where Campeau built Beginning in the 1950s Campeau began building houses southwest of Kilborn Avenue and Alta Vista Drive, north of Randall Avenue. At the time, bungalows and one-and-a-half storey houses were most popular. Many of the “Victory Houses” built by Wartime Housing Ltd. for returning veterans after WWII were one-and-a-half stories, and the style soon became very popular for all builders. Below are some of Campeau's one-and-a-half storey plans built in the area: With time, the one-and-a-half storey house became less popular, and bungalows and split-level houses became the norm. An easy way to determine the age...
57 comments
Read more

The small Post-War 1 1/2-Storey House - Part One

 The small Post-War 1  1/2-Storey House The 1  1/2-storey house is common in certain areas of Ottawa built during WWII and the era immediately afterwards. These houses can be found throughout the city, but larger concentrations include the following areas: Carlington, Courtland Park, Carleton Heights, Meadowlands/St. Claire Gardens, Alta Vista, Overbrook, Eastview, Vanier, Elmvale Acres and Queensway Terrace.  The 1  1/2-storey house actually has older roots in European architecture and early North American housing. The style was re-born by Wartime Housing Limited during WWII to fill a need during a housing shortage and were meant to be temporary. The design is economical to build, versus a full 2-storey house, and in some cases the second floor can be left unfinished for future expansion. Here is a link to a NFB short film on the wartime houses:  Wartime Housing   Below are the 3 basic plans Wartime Housing Limited built in communities across Canada -...
Post a Comment
Read more

Modern Mansard - The Neo-Mansard Roof

Throughout the mid-century, the Mansard roof was popular in Ottawa housing design.  First popularised in France during the 17th century, and then revived in the 19th century, the roof style re-appeared in Ottawa during the 1960s. At first the roof was used on historically-inspired houses, but was eventually altered in a variety of ways to have a more modern take on tradition. Campeau was the builder who used the roof the most in the mid-century, but other builders also followed suit. A traditional use of the Mansard roof. Playfair Park North/South, Russell Heights, c. 1965. This plan had a traditional Mansard option as well as 2 Dutch Colonial options with a Gambrel roof. Beacon Hill and South Keys, c. 1967. Here is a great example of a modern take on the Mansard roof. Instead of protruding dormer windows with arched tops, these houses have an inset window and an asymmetrical facade. From the side, the roof actually has more of a Gambrel-style silh...
1 comment
Read more

Costain in Ottawa - Part One: Blackburn Hamlet (Detached Homes)

Some of my long-time readers may remember that I did a series of posts on Costain a few years ago. For some reason, a few of my older posts have vanished from my blog - for reasons unknown to me. So, I have re-created this post on the builder Costain due to interest from some of my readers. On the positive side, I have been able to get my hot little paws on some new floor plans and marketing material, so there is more material in this post compared to the original (now lost) post! In the mid-1960s the builder Costain (originally from England, but with an impressive global portfolio) came to Ottawa to develop a new hamlet in the eastern greenbelt called Blackburn Hamlet.  Today Blackburn Hamlet is very lush with mature trees and extensive parkland, surrounded by the NCC Greenbelt. The west side of Blackburn Hamlet has 3 neighbourhoods separated by parkland, Westpark, Southpark and Centrepark. The Northpark and Eastpark n...
15 comments
Read more

Campeau in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Below is a collection of floor plans that Campeau built in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I quite like the first plan with its blank front facade to the right of the front door. It gives the house a modern take on the Cape Cod-inspired 1 1/2 story style. I do not believe that many of this design were built, though. I also quite like this design below, with its blank facade and large wall of windows in the Living Room. Too bad my only copy of the plan is cut off at the top.
Post a Comment
Read more

CMHC house designs from the mid-century

Between 1947 and 1974 the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), formerly Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, published regular floor plan books of small houses suitable to be built in Canada. Blueprints could be ordered for the architect-designed plans, and examples of the built houses can be found throughout Ottawa. There are so many interesting plans that were available through the CMHC, so this is only the first posting with some of my favourites. If you recognise any of these designs that have been built in Ottawa (or elsewhere in Canada), please feel free to share the location with me! I have always been a fan of the butterfly roof! Although there are no front facing windows on the above design, the cedar shake cladding makes for a very interesting facade. The architect was based out of Kanata, and I could easily see this house fitting into the natural landscape of Beaverbrook - although I don't think it was actually built there.  The central atr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Amberwood Village - Stittsville

Another blog post by request!   Located south of Hazeldean Road east of Stittsville Main Street is a very special "adult-lifestyle" neighbourhood begun in the late 1970s. The original phases of Amberwood Village consist of a series of houses built in clusters along the edges of the Amberwood Golf Course.   The development was originally built by a company called Jaric Developments Ltd. The architect of this original portion of the area was W.G.Mohaupt - who also designed the "courtyard singles" in Hunt Club (see my old post  Favourite Plans South and scroll down to see these designs) - and also used to design houses for Minto.   The clusters of attached houses are grouped on dead-end lanes and units are attached is a variety of arrangements. Some designs have an attached garage, while others have detached garages clustered together with others. The result is a very interesting streetscape with a lot of open spac...
1 comment
Read more

The bungalow staircase

California spearheaded the popularity of the bungalow (or ranch home), in mid-century North America. In California, basements are rare. During WWII and immediately afterward, some Ottawa houses were built without basements to save costs. But, the appeal of having a basement as extra room for storage and expansion space, meant that the basementless house did not last long. Having a basement meant that California-inspired designs had to be adapted to allow room for a staircase down. The placement of the basement stairs in bungalow design is sometimes a challenge. With a two-story house, often the staircase is located in the front hall, but this is not the case with many bungalows. While a staircase up leads to finished rooms on the upper floor, the staircase down to the basement was historically linked to service spaces. Basements in older houses were more utilitarian, so there was no need to have the basement stairs on display like the stairs to the upper floors. A stair...
3 comments
Read more

California Modern in Ottawa

During the mid-century era, California became the epicentre of modern design. From the architect-designed case-study houses, to the mundane tract house, all eyes were on California. In Canada, books and periodicals on architecture filled with Californian design would have sparked the imagination of Architects and designers. W hen one thinks of Mid-Century Modern (MCM) California tract housing, the name ‘Eichler’ often comes to mind. Perhaps one of the most famous MCM tract builders, Joseph Eichler, defined MCM design in the United States. His widely-published designs even captured the imagination of Canadians. Any designer/architect in the know would have seen an Eichler plan. In Ottawa, there are a few examples of houses built in the 1960s with floor plans that could have been influenced by those being built by Eichler. The most famous Eichler-built designs are those with an open-air atrium at the centre. One of the floor plans built by Teron in Beaverbrook during the...
7 comments
Read more

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Beacon Hill North

The Beacon Hill North area, east of downtown, has some great examples of MCM houses. Map of Beacon Hill North The two main builders in Beacon Hill were Minto and Campeau. For the most part, the Minto-built homes are in the centre of the community (in an area that was also marketed as Beaconwood), and the Campeau-built homes act as book-ends on the western and eastern sides. Simpson Homes also built a handful of large houses in the northwest portion. In addition, there are a few pockets of houses built by other builders, including MacDonald Homes, as a part of the H.O.M.E. Plan (Home Ownership Made Easy) – particularly on the east side. The Campeau houses in the southwest portion of the area were marketed as being in Rothwell Village, due to their location bordering Rothwell Heights. The houses built in this area were Campeau’s larger two-storey and split-level models. One of the Campeau designs in Rothwell Village. The same design was also built in Arlington Woods. ...
20 comments
Read more