‘Cube House’ on Vancouver’s Golden Mile Lists for C$14 Million

A stark, cube-shaped home that’s drawn unusually strong reactions in one of Vancouver’s most exclusive neighborhoods hit the market Friday for C$14 million ($10.6 million).

The newly built house, designed by noted architect Tony Robins, has become a hot topic among neighbors along tony Point Grey Road, a thoroughfare known as Vancouver’s Golden Mile, said the property’s realtor, Loren Dunsworth, with The John Aaroe Group in Los Angeles and Rennie & Associates in Vancouver.

"We see it as an art piece," Ms. Dunsworth said. "And like any good art, it’s going to provoke."

The modern, 2,885-square–foot home’s galvanized steel exterior and cube-shape have set it apart from the other surrounding luxury homes, many of which were built decades ago.

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As the property was being built over the past two years, complaints started to come in, said Mr. Robins, the architect.

There was a fear he was building an "industrial box with no windows," Mr. Robins said. But, now that the property—which went up for sale Friday—is complete, "the neighbors seem to love it—it’s turned from an ugly duck into a swan."

Mr. Robins’s concept was to create something "interesting and exciting—a minimalist cube that was very restrained on the outside, but very rich on the inside."

The ground floor of the home—which includes the kitchen and living area—is completely encased in glass, while its second floor is covered in metal. While there are no windows on the second floor facing the street, on the opposite side, where the home’s two bedrooms face, windows overlook a nearby park.

"Now that people have started touring the inside, they see that the home is actually flooded with light," Ms. Dunsworth said. The home features a 30-foot skylight that "really highlights all the detail that went into the home," she said.

Ms. Dunsworth said one of the home’s most special features is its rooftop level, a large, open space with a hot tub that fits up to 15 people, an outdoor kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. It also offers views of the water, mountains and Vancouver’s cityscape.

The home, which includes two bedrooms, three bathrooms and one half bathroom, also features a basement garage that holds four cars, and a glass elevator runs from the garage up to the roof deck. A separate deck sits off the second floor’s master bedroom.

Mr. Robins was hired to design the home several years ago, but, for family reasons, his client had to sell the property before it was built, he said.

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In 2014, a prolific Vancouver developer, Ron Roadburg, bought the land and designs for C$3.5 million ($2.6 million).

Mr. Roadburg, who has another home in Point Grey, declined comment. He told the Globe and Mail via email that though he "loved" the home, he decided to stay in his other nearby residence.

Ms. Dunsworth said they envision the home’s buyer as someone who will likely appreciate architecture and the custom details in every part of the home—as well as appreciate the neighborhood.

"This is one of Vancouver’s most established and desirable neighborhoods," Mr. Dunsworth said. "There’s a strong sense of community here, and it also happens to be one of the most beautiful places in Vancouver."