Canary Coach Mount Pleasant Laneway House

A newly constructed yellow laneway house with a wooden privacy fence and a welcoming entrance.
A bright living room with a modern black cabinet, natural decor elements, and a round mirror reflecting soft light.

An instant Smallworks classic.

Though one of our most challenging projects in recent times, this home stands out with its modest footprint and inviting character. It exemplifies our core values: skillfully navigating the challenges and constraints of a build to create a beautiful and functional small home.

A bright and airy living room inside a Smallworks laneway house, featuring a vaulted ceiling, modern furniture, and large windows for natural light.
A spacious kitchen with vaulted ceilings, white cabinetry, a warm-toned backsplash, and an open living area.
A spacious and well-lit interior of a Smallworks laneway house, featuring a neutral colour palette and contemporary furniture.
A detailed close-up of light hardwood flooring with a woven rug and wicker basket in a Smallworks laneway house.
A sleek, open-concept bathroom leading to a bedroom in a modern laneway house.

Located in Vancouver’s historic and iconic bog—infamous among builders and homeowners alike—that stretches through the eastern half of Mount Pleasant and Riley Park, this project presented our team with unique opportunities to rethink some of our standard design and construction practices.

A close-up view of a modern kitchen sink with a neutral-toned countertop and contemporary backsplash.
A bright, open kitchen with a large island, modern pendant lighting, and an abundance of natural light.
Sunlit Kitchen Counter with Soft Shadows
A close-up of a modern kitchen sink and built-in dishwasher in a laneway home.
A modern kitchen with a stainless steel stove, bright white cabinetry, and a window providing natural light.
A modern kitchen in a Smallworks laneway house, featuring a stainless steel fridge, floor-to-ceiling white cabinetry, and a minimalist aesthetic with light wood flooring.

Specifications

Year Built2024
Home Size539 sq ft
Floors1
Bedrooms 1
Bathrooms1
Lot Size27.72 x 122.5 ft
The exterior of a yellow Smallworks laneway house with a welcoming porch and greenery.

In typical Smallworks fashion, we relaxed into the many constraints and focused on problem-solving.

By integrating a helical pile substructural solution and pouring a slab that ties into the structure, we ensured the foundation’s integrity and durability. This approach allowed us to maintain our signature in-floor radiant heating system, with the slab at grade level eliminating any concerns about unwanted visitors beneath the house.

A construction site showing the early foundation work for a new laneway house build.
A newly constructed yellow laneway house with a wooden privacy fence and a welcoming entrance.

In the end, we delivered a charming little house perfectly tailored to the client’s needs: a welcoming home for overseas grandparents. Upon completion, the clients joked about having the grandparents live in the main house with the kids—but the battle over this stunning little home is one dilemma we can’t solve for them.

Canary Coach House Floor Plan

Download Floorplan PDF
Floorplan

See what you can build.

A yellow laneway house with a pitched roof, partially obscured by a tree.

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