When a house is listed for sale, the next step is usually to schedule an open house or a viewing. Showing off a home and all it has to offer is key to entice potential buyers and promote specific features such as a gourmet kitchen, expansive primary bedroom or large backyard.
In 2020, the founders of Studio North, a Calgary-based home design and construction business, had a new vision for marketing homes, particularly those with striking architecture and design features. Their vision came to life in Arch House, a real estate marketing service that digs deeper into what makes a home special and unique. “We created Arch House as a way of representing well-designed homes in a better way — telling their stories, unravelling their design vision and presenting them in a better light in the marketplace,” says Studio North’s Mark Erickson.
Most Arch House clients are looking to sell to someone who will honour their home’s story and how it came to be. The houses brought to Arch House all feature unique design and were built by notable architects or home designers.
The Arch House team treats each home as a case study, Erickson says. Visualization designer and photographer Hayden Pattullo specializes in architectural photography, and his images capture the spaces from an architectural point of view, documenting the home’s unique character.
Videographer and storyteller Brendan Kane then walks through the home room-by-room with the homeowner and the architect or designer to learn about the house, its story and the vision behind it. The process creates video and photos that speak to more than just the square footage and number of rooms.
When it’s time to list, Arch House works with local realtor Jake McIntyre, who handles the specifics of selling the home.
“We’ve developed an eye for the things that make spaces unique and special,” says Erickson, “and it gives us an opportunity to walk into and present beautiful architectural homes.”