House SA
House SA is a minimalist house located in Richmond, Canada, designed by Human w/ Design. In a quiet corner of Richmond, a single vertical gesture defines House SA – a full-height fireplace wall that rises like a modernist monolith, its concrete-like surface catching subtle variations of light throughout the day. This architectural moment, created by Human w/ Design, embodies the delicate balance between assertive minimalism and domestic comfort that characterizes the entire project.
The fireplace wall’s dramatic verticality engages in a purposeful dialogue with the horizontal planes of low-slung cabinetry that stretch along its base, recalling the compositional tension between vertical and horizontal elements that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe explored in his Barcelona Pavilion. Yet where Mies worked in chrome and travertine, House SA speaks in a softer material vocabulary – chalk-toned walls, natural oak flooring, and richly grained dark veneer that ground the space in organic warmth.
This material palette reflects a contemporary evolution in minimalist design thinking. While early minimalism often embraced industrial materials to achieve aesthetic reduction, House SA demonstrates how natural materials can be deployed with equal restraint to create spaces that feel both ordered and inherently livable. The stone surfaces and oak veneers aren’t merely decorative choices – they’re fundamental to the home’s sensory experience, providing subtle tactical variations that reward close attention.
The progression from public to private spaces reveals thoughtful material layering. In the family room and master bedroom, textured wallpapers and oak veneer surrounds introduce an additional layer of warmth, creating what might be called “soft minimalism” – spaces that maintain compositional clarity while embracing comfort through material richness. This approach echoes Japanese interior design principles, where simplicity coexists with deep material appreciation.
What’s particularly notable is how Human w/ Design has approached minimalism not as an exercise in reduction, but as a careful process of curation. Each material choice, each geometric relationship, serves both aesthetic and experiential purposes. The result is a home that achieves visual serenity without sacrificing the intimate qualities essential to domestic life.