Barry Hobin is a very popular architect in Ottawa, and he has been popular for many years.
I can’t drive down Island Park Drive without looking at 512 Island Park Drive – I`d suggest curtains or blinds in the living room and dining room but that`s just me.
299 Soper place is extraordinary, I think it`s been on the house tour twice. I was in the last time; what seems like a huge house with 2 wings which means endless walking is not at all the case. One wing is for general living the other guests, teenagers, a home cinema, and a gym.
Molly and I recently listed and sold a Barry Hobin construction on Charlevoix. Oh so many moons ago I lived in a Hobin designed townhouse on Crichton Street (173 to 179). As you can see he`s gone from wood to brick to glass steel and concrete.
Of note are three projects he has done in collaboration with Charlesfort. The Hudson at 235 and 245 Kent Street, The Merit at 108 Lisgar, and The Continental at 75 Cleary. All three are what I would like to call neo-deco. Some are calling it Art Deco but that is not the case as the Art Deco period was from the 1920s to 1930s. We can certainly say Art Deco inspired – definitely or in the Art Deco style. (we can have a whole conversation on Art Deco and Art Nouveau – and someday soon we will). It was amuzing to me that I left the country for 10 years and when I came back all of these Deco inspired buildings had sprouted and I really wondered what has happened here. Doesn`t seem to be a Deco revival elsewhere in the world it`s a Doug Casey / Barry Hobin thing.
