Houss incorporates a heritage house within a new industrial and commercial building located in Vancouver’s industrial Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The project integrates the neighbourhood’s history within the building while taking advantage of the height and density bonuses resulting from the heritage preservation. The house is retained and re-used as a focal point to the development, creating a new type of publicly accessible space that is atypical in the neighbourhood. As the house is re-purposed for restaurant use, the public is able to engage with the building in a way that would not be possible if it remained as a single family home, and in this way, the house takes on a new life. The materials and colour palette emphasize the contrast between the heritage house and the new contemporary form. A large glass façade reflects other heritage homes across the street, linking the relocated house with the historic streetscape.

Houss is a recipient of a 2023 City of Vancouver Award for Heritage Conservation.