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This reminds me a lot of time I spend reading Dwell magazine a decade ago. Since that time, I've moved past the point where building such a house is impossible

This reminds me a lot of time I spend reading Dwell magazine a decade ago. Since that time, I've moved past the point where building such a house is impossible for me financially, but I've also moved past the point where such a house is attractive to me. I saved up a lot of back issues of Dwell thinking I'd refer to them when building a dream home, and in a move a few years ago I threw them out. It felt exactly like what I imagine throwing out an adult magazine collection might feel like - oddly relieving. Like airbrushed nude photos in Playboy (showing my age, I know), grand home schemes of all kinds are a pursuit of perfection. But nothing is perfect, or stays that way very long, and the higher your expectation and expense in relation to objects-as-happiness, the greater the disappointment. I really am a sucker for innovative architecture, but for me, innovation is about dealing with constraints, not conquering nature and heating your pool at all costs.

vonseel 5y ago
Yeah, it blew my mind that having a pool was so important to someone in a cold place like Canada. We have a pool in Texas and while it was installed with propane heating 30 years ago, the heating has really never been used as it’s not efficient to do so. I can’t imagine how much it would cost to heat a pool in the author’s climate.
- stickfigure 5y ago
  A pool heater just expands the swimming season. You don't heat it year 'round, but it may be the difference between a 4-month pool and a 6-month pool. Also it's fun to throw parties with a nighttime 90 degree pool. Our pool costs about an hour and $10 to increase each degree. Sometimes it's worth it.
- dan-robertson 5y ago
  Well it’s cold in the winter but I thought Vancouver was reasonably warm in the summer.
- Tiktaalik 5y ago
  In the central and eastern parts of Canada the summers can get scorching hot and humid and a pool would be lovely to have. In this particular part of Canada though, more known for its mild summers, not so much. In Vancouver there's honestly maybe only two weeks in july when it's hot enough when you'd really appreciate a pool. Now this is a bit inland, so maybe it gets hotter, but still, yeah it's a luxury that is not gonna be used often.
magicroot75 5y ago
And why not just rent one for a week? Do we always need to build and own things?

vonseel 5y ago

Yeah, it blew my mind that having a pool was so important to someone in a cold place like Canada. We have a pool in Texas and while it was installed with propane heating 30 years ago, the heating has really never been used as it’s not efficient to do so. I can’t imagine how much it would cost to heat a pool in the author’s climate.

stickfigure 5y ago
A pool heater just expands the swimming season. You don't heat it year 'round, but it may be the difference between a 4-month pool and a 6-month pool. Also it's fun to throw parties with a nighttime 90 degree pool. Our pool costs about an hour and $10 to increase each degree. Sometimes it's worth it.
dan-robertson 5y ago
Well it’s cold in the winter but I thought Vancouver was reasonably warm in the summer.
Tiktaalik 5y ago
In the central and eastern parts of Canada the summers can get scorching hot and humid and a pool would be lovely to have. In this particular part of Canada though, more known for its mild summers, not so much. In Vancouver there's honestly maybe only two weeks in july when it's hot enough when you'd really appreciate a pool. Now this is a bit inland, so maybe it gets hotter, but still, yeah it's a luxury that is not gonna be used often.

magicroot75 5y ago

And why not just rent one for a week? Do we always need to build and own things?