From Heritage House Tour 2013: "This CBK Van Norman house is a good example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the Monterey style.[...]The principal rooms of the Marguerite Street house remain unchanged and have many of the distinguishing features of Spanish Colonial homes: wrought iron grillework, textured plastered walls, an upper balcony, and new to this house but true to the style is the south-facing enclosed courtyard."
From Vancouver Building Permits, British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955: "Built in 1936 for Dr. Joseph E. Kania, 4585 Bellevue Drive, or Kania Castle, is an excellent example of a Spanish Colonial Revival style home. Kania Castle’s typical Spanish Colonial Revival features include the stucco exterior, french doors with sidelight windows, arched doorways, triple arched focal windows with muntin bars, wrought iron ornamentation and stained glass. Joseph Kania, originally from Vienna, immigrated with his family to British Columbia in 1913 at the age of 12. Kania studied at UBC before going to MIT to complete a PhD in geological engineering, before settling in Vancouver in 1932. He worked for Pemberton Securities for the next 44 years, and headed the research office there, as well as teaching Engineering Economics at UBC. 4585 Bellevue was built for Kania shortly after his return to the province, and he lived in it until the early 1990s when it was bought by local florist, landscape designer and business owner Thomas Hobbs. Once bright white, Hobbs painted Kania Castle the salmon pink colour it is today, and updated the interior. The garden that Hobbs created while living there was featured in 1001 Gardens to See Before You Die. Since 2011, Kania Castle has had a new owner."
From Heritage Vancouver Building Permits Database, VPL British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955, VanMap: "1850 SW Marine Dr. was most likely built in 1931, around the same time that many other Spanish Colonial Revival style mansions along this stretch were built, including Casa Mia and Rio Vista. This home has retained many of its original features since the 1930s, such as red ceramic tile roofing, ornate ironwork, arched windows and stucco siding. The first residents indicated in the 1933 Wrigley’s Greater Vancouver and New Westminster City Directory were George E. and Louvia Mitchell. George was a proprietor of a refrigeration company located at 453 Thurlow St. He would have had a relatively long commute to his work downtown but continued to live at this address for at least 23 years. In recent years, this home has been used for various film shoots, including as a location in the TV series “Pasadena.”"
From Canada's Historic Places: "Built in 1930 by Michael Howard Curry who worked in the film industry and resided in the house until his death in 1942. It is valued as a relatively rare surviving example of Mission Style (or Spanish Colonial Style) domestic architecture in Vancouver. It is somewhat unusual for its flat roof and parapets on all four sides (most Mission Style buildings have decorative parapet walls on the front and rear sides only)."
"Casa Mia is a large, Spanish Colonial Revival estate house constructed in 1932 and is distinguished by its richly articulated, Mission Style massing. The house was designed by the architect Ross Anthony Lort for brewer George Conrad Reifel who also commissioned the construction of the Commodore Ballroom, and the Vogue and Studio Theatres. Exterior details of the house include its rough-cast cement stucco cladding, terra cotta tile roofing, curved exterior walls and soffits, wrought iron work, cast-stone colonnettes between windows, decorated porcelain tiles on the exterior elevations, and a large, arched porte-cochère. The house also features a variety of original wood windows and terra cotta quatrefoil louvres in multiple gable ends. Interior details include the house’s tall vaulted rooms, a large central staircase, extensive cast plasterwork, surviving period bathroom fixtures, numerous murals and wall paintings, and a child’s nursery painted by Disney artists. The house features extensive original brass and wood work throughout its many rooms, and ornate fireplaces. The large basement ballroom is clad entirely in gold leaf and features a sprung dance floor similar to what was installed in the Commodore Ballroom. Interior terrazzo and tile work, as well as original light fixtures and chandeliers, are also prevalent in the house. The grounds and landscaping, with their estate-like qualities, are also of heritage value. Features include a Mission Style front wall and iron gate which frames the view of the house, and a circular driveway, accessed across a stone bridge, which is set within large open lawn areas." Source: http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20140218/documents/p3.pdf
From City of Vancouver, VHF 2014 Heritage House Tour, Kluckner, Michael - Vancouver Remembered, The Vancouver Sun, Vancouver is Awesome: Casa Mia was designed by Vancouver architect Ross A. Lort for George C. Reifel. Completed in 1932, it is an example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. An architectural statement then, it remains an intact estate home with its complex plan and interior and exterior details that reflect the status and wealth of the Reifel family. The family lived at Casa Mia until 1965. George C. Reifel was born into a family with strong ties to the brewing industry. George’s father, Henry Reifel, first settled in the Brewery Creek area in East Vancouver where breweries made use of the meandering creek as a water supply. By the early 20th century, the Reifels owned and operated several breweries and distilleries in Vancouver, including the Canadian Brewing and Malting Company, Yew Street Vancouver Breweries and the BC Distillery in New Westminster. During the 1917-1921 prohibition in British Columbia, the Reifels continued to produce temperance low-alcohol beer and opened a brewery in Japan. In 1934, George and Henry were taken to United States court for smuggling over 2,000 cases of liquor into the US. They settled for $500,000, paying an additional $200,000 for bail. The Reifel family were also involved with Vancouver’s entertainment scene . Along with his brother, Henry Frederick or “Harry,” George built and owned several performance venues, including the Commodore Ballroom, and the Studio and Vogue Theatres. By the 1930s, Harry was living at Rio Vista just a few doors down from Casa Mia. Casa Mia has hosted many guests over the years in its Art-Deco basement ballroom, featuring a sprung dance floor and gold-leaf ceiling. Casa Mia was a stop on VHF’s 2014 Heritage House Tour.
From Heritage House Tour 2013: "This CBK Van Norman house is a good example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the Monterey style.[...]The principal rooms of the Marguerite Street house remain unchanged and have many of the distinguishing features of Spanish Colonial homes: wrought iron grillework, textured plastered walls, an upper balcony, and new to this house but true to the style is the south-facing enclosed courtyard."
From Vancouver Building Permits, British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955: "Built in 1936 for Dr. Joseph E. Kania, 4585 Bellevue Drive, or Kania Castle, is an excellent example of a Spanish Colonial Revival style home. Kania Castle’s typical Spanish Colonial Revival features include the stucco exterior, french doors with sidelight windows, arched doorways, triple arched focal windows with muntin bars, wrought iron ornamentation and stained glass. Joseph Kania, originally from Vienna, immigrated with his family to British Columbia in 1913 at the age of 12. Kania studied at UBC before going to MIT to complete a PhD in geological engineering, before settling in Vancouver in 1932. He worked for Pemberton Securities for the next 44 years, and headed the research office there, as well as teaching Engineering Economics at UBC. 4585 Bellevue was built for Kania shortly after his return to the province, and he lived in it until the early 1990s when it was bought by local florist, landscape designer and business owner Thomas Hobbs. Once bright white, Hobbs painted Kania Castle the salmon pink colour it is today, and updated the interior. The garden that Hobbs created while living there was featured in 1001 Gardens to See Before You Die. Since 2011, Kania Castle has had a new owner."
From Heritage Vancouver Building Permits Database, VPL British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955, VanMap: "1850 SW Marine Dr. was most likely built in 1931, around the same time that many other Spanish Colonial Revival style mansions along this stretch were built, including Casa Mia and Rio Vista. This home has retained many of its original features since the 1930s, such as red ceramic tile roofing, ornate ironwork, arched windows and stucco siding. The first residents indicated in the 1933 Wrigley’s Greater Vancouver and New Westminster City Directory were George E. and Louvia Mitchell. George was a proprietor of a refrigeration company located at 453 Thurlow St. He would have had a relatively long commute to his work downtown but continued to live at this address for at least 23 years. In recent years, this home has been used for various film shoots, including as a location in the TV series “Pasadena.”"
From Canada's Historic Places: "Built in 1930 by Michael Howard Curry who worked in the film industry and resided in the house until his death in 1942. It is valued as a relatively rare surviving example of Mission Style (or Spanish Colonial Style) domestic architecture in Vancouver. It is somewhat unusual for its flat roof and parapets on all four sides (most Mission Style buildings have decorative parapet walls on the front and rear sides only)."
"Casa Mia is a large, Spanish Colonial Revival estate house constructed in 1932 and is distinguished by its richly articulated, Mission Style massing. The house was designed by the architect Ross Anthony Lort for brewer George Conrad Reifel who also commissioned the construction of the Commodore Ballroom, and the Vogue and Studio Theatres. Exterior details of the house include its rough-cast cement stucco cladding, terra cotta tile roofing, curved exterior walls and soffits, wrought iron work, cast-stone colonnettes between windows, decorated porcelain tiles on the exterior elevations, and a large, arched porte-cochère. The house also features a variety of original wood windows and terra cotta quatrefoil louvres in multiple gable ends. Interior details include the house’s tall vaulted rooms, a large central staircase, extensive cast plasterwork, surviving period bathroom fixtures, numerous murals and wall paintings, and a child’s nursery painted by Disney artists. The house features extensive original brass and wood work throughout its many rooms, and ornate fireplaces. The large basement ballroom is clad entirely in gold leaf and features a sprung dance floor similar to what was installed in the Commodore Ballroom. Interior terrazzo and tile work, as well as original light fixtures and chandeliers, are also prevalent in the house. The grounds and landscaping, with their estate-like qualities, are also of heritage value. Features include a Mission Style front wall and iron gate which frames the view of the house, and a circular driveway, accessed across a stone bridge, which is set within large open lawn areas." Source: http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20140218/documents/p3.pdf
From City of Vancouver, VHF 2014 Heritage House Tour, Kluckner, Michael - Vancouver Remembered, The Vancouver Sun, Vancouver is Awesome: Casa Mia was designed by Vancouver architect Ross A. Lort for George C. Reifel. Completed in 1932, it is an example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. An architectural statement then, it remains an intact estate home with its complex plan and interior and exterior details that reflect the status and wealth of the Reifel family. The family lived at Casa Mia until 1965. George C. Reifel was born into a family with strong ties to the brewing industry. George’s father, Henry Reifel, first settled in the Brewery Creek area in East Vancouver where breweries made use of the meandering creek as a water supply. By the early 20th century, the Reifels owned and operated several breweries and distilleries in Vancouver, including the Canadian Brewing and Malting Company, Yew Street Vancouver Breweries and the BC Distillery in New Westminster. During the 1917-1921 prohibition in British Columbia, the Reifels continued to produce temperance low-alcohol beer and opened a brewery in Japan. In 1934, George and Henry were taken to United States court for smuggling over 2,000 cases of liquor into the US. They settled for $500,000, paying an additional $200,000 for bail. The Reifel family were also involved with Vancouver’s entertainment scene . Along with his brother, Henry Frederick or “Harry,” George built and owned several performance venues, including the Commodore Ballroom, and the Studio and Vogue Theatres. By the 1930s, Harry was living at Rio Vista just a few doors down from Casa Mia. Casa Mia has hosted many guests over the years in its Art-Deco basement ballroom, featuring a sprung dance floor and gold-leaf ceiling. Casa Mia was a stop on VHF’s 2014 Heritage House Tour.
Click on the diagram or expand the term index to learn more about the features.
Foundation
The portion of a building that extends below the ground, providing a firm base for the structure above.
French Doors
A pair of glazed doors that open out in the middle and are hinged to the door jambs.
Ornamentation
Decorative features used to accent particular components of a building.
Side Lights
One or more vertically framed windows that flank a door, often divided into several lights.
Spanish Tile Roofing
Terra cotta or concrete semi-circular tiles with an overlapping edge.
Stucco
A material – sometimes called render, made of an aggregate (sand) and a binder (Portland cement, and water). It is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. Sometimes used on interior walls, and ceilings (called California plaster), it is mainly used on exteriors and can cover less visually appealing construction materials such as concrete, cinder block, or clay brick.
Form
A style defined by low-pitched or seemingly flat tile roofs and white stucco walls. Spanish Colonial Revival buildings often have decorative iron grills over windows, arch-topped paired windows, and small stucco parapets embellished with small tiled shed-roof projections supported by false purlins or brackets. Occasionally, they have decorative towers set into the body of the roof. Front doors typically are sheltered by a portico or set forward in a projecting bay, perhaps with spiral columns or pilasters. Test
Details
- Low-pitched ceramic tile roof – usually red
- Little or no eave overhang
- One or more prominent arches over door or main window, or under porch roof
- Usually stucco siding
- Asymmetrical facade
- Wrought iron ornamentation or railing
Background
Spanish colonial style first came into the public eye at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. Following the popularity of the Mission Revival style, it drew inspiration from California’s Spanish colonial history. The style was initially based on Spanish colonial architecture from across Latin America. As popularity grew, other architects began looking to Spain for inspiration. As a result, the style has a mix of Old and New World elements. Features that distinguish Spanish Colonial Revival from Mission Revival include low-relief ornamentation, decorative cornices and wrought iron. In Vancouver, the style is found on elaborate mansions such as Rio Vista and Casa Mia but also smaller bungalows. The sprawling villas that lend inspiration to the style made it well-suited for grander homes.
Materials
Red tile roofs, white roughcast stucco, heavy robust wood accents around windows, doors and eaves make up the Spanish style. Ornamental wrought iron appears in grillwork over windows and door openings, and iron accents turn up in lanterns, sconces and railings. Patterned tile turns up as accents in the stucco in open-ended gables and on stair risers.