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William Blakey Residence
Edmonton
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The William Blakey Residence was built in 1946 as a two-storey residence with a flat-roof and stucco cladding. It is located on a residential street and occupies a large corner lot in Edmonton’s Glenora neighbourhood. The municipal designation includes the exterior of the home. The interior is considered a non-contributing element.
Heritage Value
The William Blakey Residence is significant for its association with prominent local architect William Blakey and for its International Style.
The William Blakey Residence is valued as an historical resource for its association with William Blakey, who designed the home and lived in it from its construction in 1946 until 1971. William Blakey was one of the longest practicing architects in Edmonton. Blakey’s prolific career began with his arrival from England in 1907 until his retirement in 1963, and some of this work was completed in his home studio built above the garage of this residence. During this time he had an enormous impact on Edmonton’s built landscape, working on a multitude of buildings high-profile buildings, including the Edmonton Journal Building (1920-1921), the Masonic Temple (1930), the T. Eaton Store (1938), the Roxy Theatre (1938), the Garneau Theatre (1940) and Christ Church (1946). William Blakey was an early proponent of the International Style of architecture in Edmonton, of which his 1946 home is a good example. Blakey began to explore the principles of modern architecture in the mid-1930s, and in 1946 he used the construction of his home to demonstrate his ideas. In 1946 he gave four public lectures on modern architecture, advocating for flat roofs and no basements, ideas visible in his newly constructed residence at 13526 101 Avenue.
The William Blakey Residence is significant as an early example of the International Style in Edmonton. This style of architecture is typified by the use of a symmetrical composition, flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves that emphasize the horizontal massing, relatively smooth unornamented wall surfaces, and corner windows with a horizontal compositional emphasis – all elements utilized in the William Blakey Residence. The Blakey Residence remains an excellent example of the early use of International Style in residential construction in Edmonton.
Source: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department File 64942147.
Character-Defining Elements
The heritage value of the William Blakey Residence is expressed in such character-defining elements as:
- corner lot location;
- 1946 form, scale and massing;
- asymmetrical composition;
- flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves that emphasize the horizontal mass;
- protruding attached front drive garage with studio above and flat roof lower than the main house;
- long entrance portico with ornamental wood supports;
- relatively smooth unornamented stucco wall surfaces that extend into the underside of the eaves; and
- large corner window openings.
Location
| Street Address: |
13526 - 101 Avenue NW |
| Community: |
Edmonton |
| Boundaries: |
Lot 11, Block 126, Plan 2804AF |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
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Mer |
Rge |
Twp |
Sec |
LSD |
4
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24
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53
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6
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13
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
2804 AF
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126
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11
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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53.541546 |
-113.556059 |
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NAD 83 |
UTM Reference:
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Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Local Governments (AB) |
| Designation Status: |
Municipal Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
2007/07/17 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1946/01/01 |
| Period of Significance: |
1946-1975 |
| Theme(s): |
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design
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| Historic Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Current Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Architect: |
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| Builder: |
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| Context: |
The International Style of the Blakey Residence was also evident in other homes in the Glenora neighbourhood, including the Hyndman House next door, also built in 1946. Together, these two residences became an architectural curiosity for many Edmontonians. |
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Additional Information
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