TV/Movie Houses: Firewall

Last night, we watched the Harrison Ford movie Firewall. It was a psychological thriller starring Ford as head of security for a large bank whose identity is compromised and family kidnapped all in a very elaborate plot to rob his bank of $100 million dollars.

The real star of the film, for design lovers, was Ford's house. The house not only played home to Harrison Ford in Firewall, but was also featured in a little known flop called Blitz, and I could swear it's the same house from the Jennifer Garner version of "Elektra" (I will be digging out that DVD to find out!)

In Firewall,  Ford's on-screen wife (Virginia Madsen) was an architect who had designed the stunning contemporary residence on a waterfront point near Seattle.

In real-life, the house is located in British Columbia, and was designed by Brian Hemingway.  Called "Tidewater",  "With the ocean as its pedestal, this 8000 sq. ft. post, beam and glass home sits nestled into the landscape's edge. Unobstructed views in every direction allow the residents to intimately relate to the beauty of their natural surroundings. Here, as in all his houses, Hemingway attempted to create a visual symphony of parts that flow from the guiding principles of the plan, and extend to the structure, flooring materials, built-in furnishings, cabinets, doors, window frames and light fixtures."

Photos courtesy Brian Hemingway

I absolutely LOVE how the rooms are defined by floor changes, the exposed structure, and how the coldness of all the glass is countered by the wood beams. It's hard to say if the interior scenes in the movie were filmed at Tidewater, but I suspect at least some of them were:

Ignore the violence in this screenshot, and look at the cabinetry

In this photo from Hemingway's site, notice that same corner by the ovens. Certainly looks like they shot on site, doesn't it?

And if that isn't the actual Tidewater fireplace behind them there, they were at least inspired by it.

Photo courtest Brian Hemingway

Finally, a few exterior shots:

 

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