419 Moray Street, Designer/contractor: Dan Weisner 1964 National Design Award, Canadian Housing Design Council. With a spare, rectangular façade, flat roof and bold section of unadorned cedar, 419 Moray Street stands out among its suburban neighbours. Indeed, the home’s design is remarkable – earning the man behind its creation, Dan Weisner, a National Design Award by the Canadian Housing Design Council in 1964. Wiesner, a St. James native, was described in the local press as a talented do-it-yourself builder with an imaginative mind. In fact, Weisner, originally a carpenter, was far from an amateur and was responsible for “more than built a dozen homes a year on a custom basis.” While he had no formal design training, Weisner was prompted to enter the national competition due to a number of encouraging comments from friends and through recommendations from several local architectural firms. As stated by Weisner’s wife in a period article: ’Our friends kept saying how original it was and how much they liked it’ ... Then, when the architects recommended it, he decided to enter” with 1964 being the first year he made such a submission. His award was presented to Weisner by the Postmaster General John R. Nicholson in Ottawa November 18, 1964. 419 Moray Street, judged the Canadian Housing Design Council to be one of the 18 best 1964 home designs in Canada, was praised by the national judges as simple and well expressed with a direct and economical plan. These attributes led it to prevail among 180 other entrants in the single-family home division of the competition. Of the scheme used Wiesner stated that its “uncluttered appearance” was due to his incorporation of practical necessities into the design. He elaborated his philosophy: The house is designed as a whole unit, rather than a series of separate units.”As described in period accounts, “This basic theory is expressed in the simple effectiveness of the entire design. Every practical unit, from the lawn foliage to the kitchen cabinets, is planned to fit into the overall design, instead of conflicting with it. The result is a prize-winning home which is both functional and attractive.” For more information: winnipegarchitecture.ca/419-moray-street/
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 22:16:25 +0000
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