Nestled in a forest and perched above Anderson Lake is an off-grid property for sale that is rich in local history.
Located at 20100 Highline Road, D’Arcy, the homestead spans 5.6 hectares, features two dwellings, one-of-a-kind architecture and a log cabin dating back to the 1940s. The property was once owned and developed by Zube (Patrick) Aylward, an infamous artist known for designing The Mushroom House in Whistler.
Aylward was murdered on the property Oct. 13, 2018, and no arrests were ever made in the case. While rumours swirled about the grisly nature of his death, described as a home-invasion-style murder, the exact motive remains unclear. Police at the time noted the incident was targeted and isolated, with no risk to other members of the community.
The stunning property is now for sale, having changed hands from Aylward’s wife, Pat, to the current owners. The property was previously listed for $2,999 million and now runs for $2,699 million. It’s listed by Engel & Völkers and presented by Rob and Sherry Boyd.
The property’s features include two dwellings with three bedrooms, a wine cellar, patios, living rooms, three bathrooms, a spa, an 8.3Kw hydro power plant and 1,000 feet-plus of pebble and sand beach. It is zoned RR4, allowing for development and commercial purposes, including short-term rentals.
The remote yet proximal property is accessed by boat, float plane or a winding dirt road that snakes its way above the crystal-clear water of Anderson Lake. Driving along the 18 kilometres to tour the property, a dust cloud formed behind me. The only person I came across was a single dirt bike rider. It was easy to feel seclusion. Occasionally, I would see a boat jetting across the expansive water below, reminding me I wasn't all alone.
Unique as nature
It’s difficult to discern who will purchase the land, but the features favour someone with ingenuity. Organic gardens, a vineyard and fruit trees provide opportunities for sustenance, and anglers and hunters could easily enjoy a fresh bounty. Landscape painters have ample inspiration to capture the lake’s ever-changing light, while water-sport enthusiasts could spend countless days offshore.
In the main house, the backdoor opens into an open-concept kitchen and dining room with interlocking flooring. Wooden support beams frame the ceiling, and a dining room table sits by an expansive window soaking the warm wood in a soft glow. Grand, forest-inspired chairs perch along the woodwork and seem appropriate for an Ent from Lord of the Rings.
The home is as unique as nature, with no two pieces of cut wood resembling the other, only ever mirroring pieces close by.
The rest of the dwelling features a spacious den with a wood stove, ample seating and access to a patio with a mushroom sculpture and panoramic views of Anderson Lake. A guest bedroom with an en suite ensures space and privacy for guests, whereas the master bedroom includes a walk-in closet, loft, en suite and private balcony.
Earthship
Perhaps the most interesting build on the property is the Earthship, which took Aylward 14 years from start to finish. Built into the earth, it keeps cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Earthships are sustainably designed homes which first gained conceptual appeal thanks to Michael Reynolds in 1971. He constructed homes from recycled material and appeals to off-grid lifestyles of self-sufficiency and sustainability.
Victor Beresford is one of the current owners, and he explained the monumental amount of work Aylward put into the stonework alone.
“The way that [Aylward] made it was using Inca-inspired shaping of the rock so that they fit together in all different forms of geometric patterns that all interlocked, and they're two-foot-thick stone walls with no cavity wall on the inside, meaning they're just big blocks of stone,” Beresford said.
While the blocks of granite took 14 years to fit together, it’s not without reason. Beresford said Aylward used diamond-chained chainsaws to carve the rock, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on tools alone.
Inside the ship, the yellow ceiling undulates thanks to repurposed railroad lines as rafters.
“The actual surplus rail lines from the railway makeup the rafters, and then concrete is put over top of that so it would withstand landslide, fire, earthquake, everything,” Beresford said.
While Earthship architecture was part of the inspiration for a stone structure, Beresford believes a fire at the Mushroom House in Whistler was another impetus for building something unbreakable.
“A tour guide left a cigarette on the countertop, and it fell and lit the whole place on fire. So he already had a passion project get seriously damaged by fire, and so he was very sensitive to fire,” he said.
A piece of history
Prior to the Earthship, Aylward’s materials bent towards wood. The stone building is a departure from that style, and it’s somewhat fitting his last build was constructed from solid, magma-formed rocks.
The property, like everywhere else in British Columbia, is at risk for wildfires. Evidence of the Casper Creek wildfire from July 2023 is singed into trees when driving up to the property.
However, Beresford noted the number of maple trees on the property and in Casper Creek, which runs through the land, provides protection, as do the rock-solid walls of the Earthship.
Throughout the cool, open-concept home, arched windows and doors are adorned with peacocks and sunflowers.
The kitchen’s exhaust system is just as unique as the rest of the Earthship, and is an example of steampunk influence. Made from a bicycle gear and a forged bronze handle, an exhaust pipe opens by using the handle to turn the gear.
“The steampunk school of architecture really helped formulate those ideas of making these kinetic sculptures to be able to perform ordinary, rather mundane functions,” Beresford said about the design.
A master bedroom and en suite includes a jade bath situated behind the bed, and a large wooden closet is accessible from the bedroom and bathroom.
The most stunning feature of the property is the spa. The jade room includes a cold dunk tank and sauna, as well as a shower, with natural light pouring in from a window.
For someone who wants to own a piece of history, live off the land, or run a business, the opportunities at 20100 Highline Road are endless.
