More Information

The house at 14 Cambrian Crescent was built for Mickey Kojima. Kojima's company, Goodman & Kojima, worked on the electrical wiring for most of Winnipeg's Japanese builders and architects. Henry Takatsu, a draftsperson from Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates, helped design the home. The design was selected by Mickey himself out of a magazine, which would send the blueprints for $20 USD. Henry Takatsu drew up a basement, as the original designs didn't have one. Henry Kuwada, of Kuwada Construction Co. Ltd., saw Mickey's plans, and offered to build the house. In order to afford the home, Mickey withdrew his $5,000 life insurance policy.

Design Characteristics

• The home featured a swooping roofline with cedar shingles, reminiscent of traditional homes in Japan (although city bylaws would require that the roof be shortened in length by 1-foot). The government of Ed Schreyer was advocating for electrical heating in housing, and City Hydro gave Mickey a rebate in return for using his new, electrically-heated house, as a display home.