Winter 2010 - Building a new custom home can be a challenge. Those who choose to do so seek an exceptional space tailored to their needs, tastes and aspirations, but realizing such a place can become an exhaustive, sometimes daunting, project. An architect must be selected, followed by a contractor to oversee construction. Then there are engineers, quantity surveyors, interior designers, landscape architects and permit officers to manage, each needing informed, timely decisions. This is the case with the simplest platform-framed house. Anyone looking to build something profound, something sensational, faces further demands. But in West Vancouver, British Columbia, one quiet group of companies is creating awe-inspiring residential homes, while offering each of these services under one roof: The Hollingsworth Group.
But clientele receive much more than convenience. The Hollingsworth Group specializes in sophisticated, premier residences, each one utilizing the surrounding landscape and resources to build extremely practical, but beautiful, architectural masterpieces. Although Hollingsworth does not identify with any one typified style, he draws heavily on organic architecture when designing; this is a result of having the renowned Canadian architect, Fred Thornton Hollingsworth, for a father. “I learned everything from my father,” Russell explains. “From a very early age he was my mentor.” As a leading practitioner of the West Coast tradition, Russell’s father exposed Russell to the rewards of building spaces that embody their natural surroundings. Russell’s designs reflect this early influence, while being contemporary and elegant.
A quiet status also helps protect his client’s privacy, as many owners are accomplished, successful individuals requiring confidentiality. “Their security is a foremost concern; we do not publish our work out of respect for the client, only doing so with permission and discretion,” emphasizes Russell. This also explains why many of the Hollingsworth residences remain unnoticed. They are frequently built on (but not limited to) densely landscaped properties, often on the waterfront or in remote areas where they remain beloved, private pleasures.
Clearly, Russell Hollingsworth has achieved these goals, and deservedly so. Not only has he cultivated a fulfilling, challenging career for himself and his team, he is committed to serving his community through volunteerism, charity work and organic land husbandry. All this while staying dedicated to his client’s happiness, even if it means the artistic and architectural achievements of the Hollingsworth Group remain, largely, unseen.