Description of Historic Place

The Sundorne is located at 1203 Matthews Avenue in the First Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, it is a large, wood and stone Arts and Crafts style house, two and one-half storeys in height, surrounded by mature landscaping.

Heritage Value

The Sundorne was built in 1911 and is valued as an example of the original Edwardian era housing in Vancouver's First Shaughnessy neighbourhood. The Sundorne is also valued for its Arts and Crafts style of architecture and for its association with the influential Koerner family.

Conformity to traditional styles is one of the distinguishing features of the First Shaughnessy neighbourhood. As one of the earliest, extant examples of Shaughnessy housing, The Sundorne, though more modest than some of its contemporaries, aligns with the domestic ideals of the neighbourhood, incorporating gracious outdoor space with traditional architecture. First Shaughnessy, which is known as the city's most elite residential enclave, was plotted in 1907 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was named after company president, Sir Thomas Shaughnessy. At the time, many cities were developing an upper-class Garden City suburb, made possible by new industrial wealth and based upon a traditional and conservative image of the home. Typically, these suburbs were developed with estate houses on extensive lots, with prominent street landscaping, curved streets, and large private gardens.

The Sundorne exhibits influences of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture. The Arts and Crafts style was governed by rational space planning, the use of natural materials and a mix of traditional elements, which are all exhibited by The Sundorne. The residence's Arts and Crafts style roots are specifically visible in its stone foundation, half-timbering detailing, and multi-paned, leaded glass windows. The house reflects the modern ideals of economy and good design. At the time of its construction, it was presumed that a well-built house would display a traditional and readily identifiable style, as a hallmark of good taste. The Sundorne, as one of the oldest, original homes in Vancouver's First Shaughnessy District, represents the traditional residential ideals of the Edwardian era.

Mrs. Ellen Emmons was the first owner of the house, moving into the residence with her sons following her husband's death in 1910; the Emmons family remained until 1919. Walter and Marianne Koerner moved into The Sundorne in 1940. Walter Koerner (1898-1995) moved to Canada in 1938, eventually making a fortune in the lumber industry. Known for his long association with the University of British Columbia (UBC), Koerner contributed to the University by chairing the Board of Governors from 1968-1972, by serving as the chairman of the UBC Health Services Centre from 1971 to 1980, and by donating his ceramic art collection to UBC in the 1980s. In 1997, the Walter C. Koerner Library was opened, named in his honour. Koerner was recognized in 1967, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, and in 1990, when he was awarded the Order of British Columbia. Patrons of the arts, the Koerners supported local artists and the University by gifting their extensive Northwest Coast art collection to UBC's Museum of Anthropology in 1975, and by commissioning artists, like Bill Reid, to produce works, including the now well-known Raven and the First Man carving in 1980. The Koerner family maintained an enduring home at The Sundorne property, remaining until 1995.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of The Sundorne are its:

- location at 1203 Matthews Avenue in the First Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver;
- significant setback from the street to accommodate the generous front grounds;
- residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its two and one-half storey height with main hipped-roof structure, featuring paired gables on the south elevation and gabled dormers on each elevation; as well as a rectangular bay on the east elevation and a hipped-roof bay extension on the north elevation;
- wood and stone construction, including wood shingle cladding on the main level, stucco cladding on the second level and granite stone construction on the foundation level;
- Arts and Crafts style details, such as its: overhanging eaves with exposed raftertails; pointed bargeboards in the gable ends; half-timbering detailing; and extended verandah on the west elevation featuring a pitched roof, framed with elaborate, scroll-cut brackets and supported by tapered stone columns;
- variety of windows, including original, double-hung wooden assemblies, some with leaded glass panes;
- original wooden front door;
- two original, internal red brick chimneys; and
- associated landscape features including a ceremonial curved driveway flanked by mature vegetation and accessed by a wrought-iron gate with stone pillars adorned with the name The Sundorne.