For the price of a bungalow in Vancouver you could have this slice of history.

I think it’s fair to say that, for most WL readers, the idea of having an architect-designed home is a perennial dream. The problem? In Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, the cost of a buildable lot plus the cost of building custom from scratch is significant. But here’s the crazy thing—if you look south, you can often find architect-designed spots for much less.Take this spot nestled up near Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. It’s architect-designed but, on the downside, you don’t get to direct the architect because it’s already built. On the plus-side? The architect who built it was perhaps the greatest of all time and this is the last residence he ever designed. So for the price of a ho-hum spot up north you can have the final work of a master in a location where the current temperature is 25°C.The House: 6836 N 36th St., Phoenix AZThe Skinny: $3,250,000 | 3 beds, 3 baths | 3,096 square feet | 1.32 acresPros: Tough to beat the FLW pedigree; it’s in a great neighbourhood; and it’s been updated by the current owners to allow for more modern living.Cons: Late career FLW houses—with all their curved walls—aren’t the most conducive to modern living; this was FLWs last design, but he was 6-feet under by the time of construction so, small asterisk.

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Neal McLennan

Neal McLennan

Neal McLennan is the wine and spirits editor for Vancouver and Western Living magazines, where he susses out the wonderful (and occasionally weird) options for imbibing across Western Canada.