Mike Miller has single-handedly given Victoria the kind of advertising you simply cannot buy.
The local developer's residence on Gonzales Bay is highlighted in this month's Architectural Digest, which calls the younger builder a visionary and describes our city as Canada's version of Malibu -- the posh Los Angeles suburb home to the rich and famous in California.
Architectural Digest is one of the world's most respected and widely circulated publications, with 4.5 million monthly readers. The impact is not lost on Miller, 36, who has operated Abstract Developments since 1999.
""It's the international magazine of design," said Miller.
"To have your work featured so prominently is the ultimate compliment." The magazine devotes nine full-colour pages to the waterfront residence.
Equivalent advertising space would cost more than $1 million, but the exposure to an international audience who may want to holiday or live here is immeasurable, according to local economic experts.
The house is made from cedar, copper, glass, aluminum and concrete and features an underground garage accessible by hydraulic lift.
"Coverage like this is invaluable," said Sasha Angus, head of the Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency. "It benefits not just this individual firm, but the economy of the entire region. We all know that Victoria is ripe with talent in all sectors. Now, with Architectural Digest featuring one of our outstanding small businesses and positioning us as the Malibu of Canada,
people around the world will know, too." Miller has won numerous awards over the years for his work
designing and building new homes and the careful restorations of older residences. He considers each project unique, created specifically for its location.
"Every site tells a story," Miller said. "It's just whether you're willing to listen." In the home featured in Architectural Digest, Miller wanted to build a structure "sympathetic with the city." Its novel "radius plan" was borne of his desire to "do something different to enhance the panoramic views." Architectural Digest said the "sleekly contemporary design" of Miller's Gonzales Bay home "honors the panorama of the Pacific Northwest." The house looks "deceptively simple" from the street, the article says, "but step past the pivoting steel-and-cedar front door in the entrance hall, and any notion of predictable, sleek right angles vanishes." The home features curvaceous interiors and vast expanses of glass.
The Times Colonist will feature Miller's residence in the Homes section later this month.
To view the article, visit abstractdevelopments.com/news
