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SMITH HOUSE II
by Arthur Erickson & Geoffrey Massey Architects 1964
Various renovations by Russell Hollingsworth 1982–1990
Renovations by Measured Architecture 2021–2022
Outdoor embellishments by Liana Sipelis Architect

Watch introductory video (3:23) >>
Filmmaker: Jesse Laver
Presenter: West Vancouver Art Museum

Ten of Erickson's original travel films have been donated to SFU Archives by the Erickson family, along with additional archival material. "The films provide a unique opportunity to see some of the world through Erickson's eyes and to gain insight into what interested and, perhaps, inspired him. Watching the footage captured through the lens of his film camera, one has the feeling of being there, next to Erickson, sharing his experiences as he travels by boat in India or makes his way through the streets of a city in Afghanistan ..."
Read more, and access the films >>

Designed by Arthur Erickson with Geoffrey Massey, the 27-storey MacMillan Bloedel headquarters opened at 1075 West Georgia St. in downtown Vancouver in December, 1968.

Colloquially known as The MacBlo even after its namesake tenants had long departed, the iconic cast concrete tower has been renamed Arthur Erickson Place by its current owners, in a ceremony which took place on September 23, 2021. AEF's President was among those invited to address the gathering:

Phil Boname: It is indeed a pleasure and an honour to be asked to speak this evening on behalf of the Arthur Erickson Foundation.

Vancouver, at least by its size, is the youngest city in North America. Its immaturity is notable in its difficulty, unlike more mature cities, to recognize, honour, and celebrate individuals who by virtue of their “genius-ness”, have seen their homes, offices, and the like converted to museums, shrines, gardens, all of great public importance. Tonight, we are witnesses to a monumental exception—the honouring of not only Canada’s most renowned architect but also one of his most iconic works.

We are indebted to the new owners of 1075 West Georgia, Crestpoint Real Estate Investments, KingSett Capital, and Reliance Properties, for recognizing the indisputable “genius-ness” of Arthur Erickson and one of his most valued accomplishments.

Speaking of 1075 West Georgia, in the early 1980s, my offices were on the 14th floor of the building directly across Georgia Street—directly facing this extraordinary edifice. I was virtually in the “royal box” with my exterior views being dominated by this extraordinary concrete tower with constantly changing theatrical sets—a play of light and shadows—a truly “moveable feast”. The view of this outstanding tower with each of its square stages (precipitated by deeply recessed windows) resulted in a constantly changing “geometric symphony”. 

When we are asked—will we see the likes of this again—we are reminded of the words of the medieval French poet, François Villon—“Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?” Well, I am an optimist—and I believe that Vancouver will continue, thanks to Arthur’s important legacies, to yield artistic “snowflakes” of outstanding building design in an ever improving urban design context. Arthur’s aesthetic influences resonate to this day, and as a consequence, we are a richer society.

It is quite natural that in thinking of Arthur Erickson, we are immersed in his extensive portfolio of over 700 commissions. We often do this at the expense of forgetting who Arthur was and what an outstanding individual he represented. For those of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with Arthur, it is also appropriate to remember him for who he was—a man of great intellect; possessed with an enormous range of talents; imbued with transformational influences; a great mentor but most importantly a man who was truly inspirational. His mentorship knew no boundaries and in doing so, he exhibited interminable patience. He had a marvelous sense of humour and lived life to its fullest and with a unique passion and grace. In his time, Arthur was by far, the most transcendentalist architect existent … He more than anyone else celebrated humanism and the influence of nature in his extensive canon of work. His inspirations continue to be exercised by many of his disciples many of whom are present with us this evening.

On behalf of the Arthur Erickson Foundation, its Directors, Patrons, and members, and in particular, its Stewardship Council, led by its Chair, Phyllis Lambert, we commend the new owners of 1075 West Georgia in renaming this truly outstanding edifice as Arthur Erickson Place. We also thank them for their undertaking to initiate a comprehensive restoration of this complex, a truly valued contribution to this part of Vancouver’s downtown. Our thanks to the owners and the Erickson Family for organizing this very special celebration of a great building and its outstanding composer.

In her May 7, 2021 article in Metropolis, journalist Hadani Ditmars writes that "Now, some 40 years later, Erickson’s original vision of pedestrianizing the Robson Street entrance of the VAG and joining it to the larger complex has been realized ..."
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A film produced by Bianca Barnes in 1980 in which she examines the construction and opening of UBC's Museum of Anthropology. The film features interviews with architect Arthur Erickson and carver Bill Reid. The footage includes construction shots, the moving of the totem poles and the opening of the Museum.
View the film >>

As part of its belief in and commitment to supporting emerging architecture practitioners, today the Arthur Erickson Foundation and the Yosef Wosk Family Foundation announced a $110,000 donation to Indspire – Canada’s national, award-winning Indigenous registered charity – in support of Indigenous youth in Canada. The donation will fund an awards program focused on increasing Indigenous student success by growing the number of Indigenous architects and landscape architects in Canada.

The Arthur Erickson Foundation was founded as the Arthur Erickson House and Garden Foundation in 1993, and later became the owner of the Erickson property at 4195 West 14th Avenue in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Following Arthur Erickson’s death in May 2009, the Arthur Erickson Foundation expanded its mandate to include education, research and preservation.

Central to Arthur Erickson’s work as an architect and theorist was his belief in and commitment to education and research. Having served on the faculties of architecture at the University of Oregon and the University of British Columbia, Erickson understood the need of each generation to contribute to the training of the next. One of the ways the foundation honours Erickson’s belief is by working with donors to develop prizes and scholarships intended to reward and assist students studying architecture and landscape architecture.

“The Arthur Erickson Foundation and Yosef Wosk Family Foundation, along with Indspire, are pleased to announce the establishment of an awards program supporting Indigenous education in architecture and landscape architecture,” said Michael Prokopow, Vice President (East) Arthur Erickson Foundation. “The organizations recognize the profound importance of the shared work of decolonization and reconciliation in Canada for the transformation of society. These awards recognize the deep power of Indigenous thinking and wisdom around the making of habitation and space for wellbeing across generations and the vitally important stewardship of the natural world.”

Mike DeGagné, President and CEO of Indspire, stated, “This new investment is a significant step in supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis architecture and landscape architecture students to achieve their potential through education and training. They can in turn enrich their communities and create positive change in Canada. We are grateful for the support of the Arthur Erickson Foundation and the Yosef Wosk Family Foundation for investing in Indigenous achievement and education.”

Over the past decades, the Erickson Garden pond has gradually become shallower as silt and organic material accumulated. One adverse effect of the shallower water was a relative increase in temperature, making it less hospitable as a frog habitat. A full restoration of the pond will come eventually, but in the meantime, remediation was called for. Neill Cumberbirch, member of AEF's House & Garden Committee, reports: "It took five days of digging and wheelbarrowing of material from the pond to the bins located outside the gate on the boulevard. There was 3 to 4 inches of fine silt on top of 8 inches of matted root material, leaves and astonishingly well preserved pine needles and below that the original membrane. We removed material down to the membrane being careful not to damage it. The total water depth is now at its original 18”. Before we started it was 6” ... We left approximately 20% of the original root mass in the pond for regeneration of the waterlilies and irises."

The photos show conditions before, during, and immediately after this remediation, which took place in Spring 2020.

On March 2, 2019 CBC News reported: "Even for an architect whose wide range includes the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, the MacMillan Bloedel building in downtown Vancouver, and Simon Fraser University, Eppich House II — which is now up for sale — stands out for several reasons ..."
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Guy Dixon, writing in the Globe & Mail 2018.05.08: "As with Mr. Erickson’s Robson Square in Vancouver and the Simon Fraser University campus in Burnaby, much of the late architect’s greatness was the dialogue he created between nature and modernism. And the possible loss of the atrium garden had conservationists particularly worried prior to the bank headquarters’ three-year, $460-million full-scale renovation, which was completed last year ... (read more)

From an undated speech, included in "Speeches by Arthur Erickson" (University of British Columbia Library): "The house was purchased in 1957 for $11,000. What attracted me to it was the garden—the whole of the property (66x120) was to the south of the house, since the house was on the lane, and had been developed as a colourful English herbaceous border garden concealing a vegetable and raspberry patch at the southern end. The house itself had been built about 40 years earlier as a garage to be lived in while the main house was built—properly, on the centre of the property. It was temporarily converted into a dwelling with a small lean-to and divided into a set of miniature rooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, front hall, bedroom and bathroom. But the owners never built the main house. Instead they added a single garage next door which, when I bought it, was used for storage.

"I set a destructive Irish sailor-handyman to taking down all the partitions, arriving only in time to save the collapse of the roof by propping it up with a wood and terra cotta Ionian column I had retrieved from the demolition of a former residence. That was the first conversion—as a one-roomed house furnished with marble slabs from the urinals of the old Vancouver Hotel and seating made from the straw benches of the former trolley cars of Vancouver, gold dragon's-blood Chinese paper lacquered into antiquity with many layers of pigmented lacquer and a teak cabinet kitchen. The garage became a guest room for visiting guests but only in summer for there was no heat.

"The garden changed more dramatically. In the second year long grass covered the property since it was never cut and the English garden struggled through the grass as if the place had been romantically deserted. But the third year the flowers no longer appeared, except for the forlorn roses hanging off the trellises and the grass was too long to even scythe. The only solution was to bring in a bulldozer and use it for contouring the lot to obscure the only disturbing view from the house—that down the length of the lot to the ugly brown shingle arched front porch of the neighbor across the street to the south …" 

AE in his living room at 4195 West 14th Avenue, 1972
Photo credit: Selwyn Pullan