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A PR IL 2019 | 73 Evolve RENDERINGS COURTESY CHRIS DIKEAKOS ARCHITECTS INC. Evolve by LAURIE JONES LOCATION 13308 – 103A Avenue, Surrey, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER WestStone Group ARCHITECT Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Metro-Can Construction (EV) Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT BMZ (Bryson Markulin Zickmantel Structural Engineers) MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Norman Disney & Young (NDY) ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT P+A Landscape Architecture TOTAL SIZE 307,035 square feet (both buildings) TOTAL COST $67.5 million A s the skyline of Surrey, B.C. contin- ues to expand, the newest tower to join the West Village community is Evolve. Rising 36 storeys above the busy streets, Evolve's unique design is connected to a standalone three-storey commercial and office podium by way of a covered breezeway, complete with a skylight that runs almost the entire length of the atrium. Within the 407 units are suites rang- ing from 315-square-foot studios to two-level, 1,000-square-foot townhomes and penthouses. "The actual design of the suites has been very thoughtful," says Janai York, director of sales and market- ing, WestStone Group. "There are some smaller residences but all the suites have generous balconies and patios, which is rare. When you have a studio apart- ment that is only 325 square feet, the 100-square-foot patio makes a big differ- ence in the living space. That's only one of the unique features of the building." She adds the interior finishings are modern, sleek, and durable. "People who are buying to live in the suites will be quite comfortable, but for those who will be renting their units, own- ers don't have to worry about wear and tear on items such as appliances." All of the units have floor-to-ceiling glazing, creating an indoor/outdoor feeling. Other features include the 1,300-square-foot Sky Lounge on the 36th floor with a fully equipped gour- met kitchen, fireplace, seating areas, a private boardroom, and a large out- door terrace with views of the North Shore mountains and west to down- town Vancouver. A gym and media room on the third level, and a lounge off the main lobby, add to the socializ- ing opportunities for residents. "The townhouses are located on three sides of the tower facing Central Avenue, 133rd Street, and the pub- lic easement on the south side of the building," says Richard Bernstein, principal, Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc. "The atrium feature between the podium and the residential tower acts as an indoor space, with a future cof- fee shop or restaurant at the base of the commercial building that will also uti- lize the breezeway. It will have a winter garden feel." He adds the building integrates well into the West Village community mas- ter plan. "The tower design follows a natural serpentine shape of nearby Central Avenue." He explains that the City of Surrey has height restrictions in certain parts of the city, and Evolve is at maximum height with 36 storeys, and several levels of below-grade parking. The finishing touches for the suites include porcelain tile and quartz coun- tertops, polished chrome hardware, and engineered hardwood flooring. "The focus on designing residen- tial towers now is space saving," says Bernstein. "As the market has gotten more expensive, everything is price point driven so you can offer a smaller unit," he says. "Condos in Surrey are now selling north of $800 per square foot. When we started this project it was $450 per square foot." The footprint of the suites at Evolve truly reflects the multi-family dwell- ings of the future. "There's a real mix of unit sizes in the building including the 315-square-foot studios that sold for $93,900," Bernstein explains. "Because some of the smaller studio units are more along the size of hotel rooms hav- ing furniture in the space that can be easily converted and moved around, this allows for a unit that functions well and still feels spacious." Camilo Salamanca, project manager at Metro-Can Construction (EV) Ltd. says Evolve is a beautiful building with distinctive architecture accents that make it stand out from the surround- ing towers. "While many of the suites are small, this tower has four two-sto- rey sub-penthouses on the south side and three sub-penthouses that are one- storey high. The penthouses also have exceptionally large patios." He notes a landscaped promenade on the south side of the building cre- ates a nice pedestrian area and will be enhanced with seating and planters. Brick veneer at the base of the building softens the concrete, adding another element to the unique design. Having townhomes integrated into the base of a tower is another unique factor, says Rory Beirne, senior struc- tural engineer, Bryson Markulin Zickmantel Structural Engineers. "It was somewhat challenging bringing down columns from the tower through the townhomes because the transfer slab was below the townhome level," he explains. "Typically in a tower, the transfer slab would be above the town- houses to change orientation." With the continuing growth in the City of Surrey, towers like Evolve will cre- ate an exciting cityscape to be envied. A 1:57 PM 1:26 PM

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