Dean-Kuperus Residence

11445 64 Street NW, Edmonton

Description of Historic Place

The 1947 Dean-Kuperus Residence is a single storey bungalow with a flat roof and wide gauge wood siding. It is located on a residential street and occupies a single city lot in the residential neighbourhood of the Highlands.

Heritage Value

The Dean-Kuperus Residence is significant as a good example of International Style reflected in residential housing in the Highlands and due to its association with the second wave of development in the Highlands neighbourhood.

Built in 1947, the Dean-Kuperus Residence is significant as an adaptation of the International Style to residential construction. The functional design and lack of exterior detailing are indicative of residential buildings in Edmonton influenced by the International Style. The Dean-Kuperus Residence lacks exterior decorative elements, reflecting the ethos of functionalism which characterized the International Style. Internationalists prized balance over symmetry, a stylistic tenet visible in the offset front entrance and chimney, as well as the step outs along the cornice. The combination of wood siding, glass block and corner windows, flat roof with boxed eaves, and large brick chimney, as well as the careful placement on the landscaped lot are also indicative of the North American version of this residential style. The International Style of the Dean-Kuperus Residence makes a significant contribution to the eclectic architectural character of the Highlands.

The Dean Kuperus Residence is historically significant as a tangible representation of the second wave of residential development in the community of the Highlands. The Highlands community was developed in the early 1900s by two of Edmonton's most significant early real estate developers: William J. Magrath and Bidwell A. Holgate. They envisioned the neighbourhood as a wealthy suburb for the city's growing middle and upper class. In 1913, however, Edmonton's first great real estate boom collapsed, and many lots in the Highlands sat empty for years. It was not until after the Second World War that substantial new development occurred in the neighbourhood. This second wave of residential development is typified by the 1947 Dean-Kuperus Residence. With a design and style that is easily distinguishable from earlier construction in the area, this home is a readily identifiable example of post-WWII infill development in the Highlands.

Source: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department File 78952890.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Dean-Kuperus Residence is expressed in such character-defining elements as:

• the flat square roof with lowered box eave;
• the wide gauge wood siding; - the glass block basement windows;
• the large front facing chimney made of wire-cut brick;
• the scored stucco over concrete foundation and front steps;
• the wide chimney on the front façade;
• the wood framed windows with wooden sills and lintels; and
• the glass block and fixed sash basement windows. 

Data Source: POSSE File 78952890 City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department 10250 - 101 Street Edmonton AB T5J 3P4

Designation & Awards

Municipal Historic Resource (February 4, 2009)

Era: The Post-War Years
Themes: Homes
Cultural Groups:
Area: Northeast

Dean-Kuperus Residence, 2010

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