The Vancouver Heritage Foundation describes the home as an example of a “modest accommodation” during its time.

The residence at 1152 East Pender Street was intended for “working and middle-class residents, particularly renters during a period of rapid growth and development”.

That was around 1903, when local resident Otto Yarchow built the Strathcona home as an “investment property to capitalize on the economic boom prior to the First World War”.

It was one of a pair of homes, with James Nicol, a boilermaker, listed as the first resident.

Today, it’s known as the Nicol Residence.

The home was added to the Vancouver Heritage Register in 2019.

And about two years later, the turquoise colour home is primed to get a makeover.

HA Studio Design Solutions has applied before city hall for permission to alter and convert the one-family residence to two units.

The proposed work includes building a secondary unit in the basement.

The owners bought the house in 2013, HA Studio Design Solutions states in the design rationale it submitted to the city.

“They loved the neighborhood, the historical character, and the sunset in the backyard,” the document notes.

Moreover, the owners “want to renovate their home to last for long in their growing family of 5 members”.

“During the design process, the family grew from 4 to 5 members,” the document relates.

The plan also includes building an accessory building for one car and five bicycles.

The house will remain torquoise in colour.

There are other works identified in the plan that “prioritized preserving as much as possible the character value of the existing house”.

The 1152 East Pender Street heritage property has a 2021 assessed value of $1,352,200.

The city will accept comments from the public about the development permit application until September 7.