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AUGUST 2019 | 69 Villa Cathay Care Home RENDERINGS COURTESY VILLA CATHAY CARE HOME SOCIETY Villa Cathay Care Home by ROBIN BRUNET LOCATION 970 Union Street, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Villa Cathay Care Home Society ARCHITECT JYW Architecture Inc. DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR VanMar Constructors Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting Structural Engineers MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Jade West Engineering Co. Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Jarvis Engineering Consultants Ltd. CIVIL CONSULTANT HY Engineering Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Prospect & Refuge Landscape Architects INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT Aliki Gladwin & Associates Inc. TOTAL SIZE 143,330 square feet (indoor space) TOTAL COST $72.9 million W ith the first phase of construc- tion of the new Villa Cathay Care Home near completion, the Villa Cathay Care Home Society has come one step closer to fulfilling the goal of Harry Fan (its late founder) of sup- porting more seniors to remain in their community as they age – in a building that meets complex health-care and social needs. Phase one of the new care home consists of a 10-storey concrete tower situated in the heart of Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood. Phase two of the construction will focus on an adjoin- ing three-storey complex. Once complete, the facility will contain 224 beds. Joe Wai, who had designed Chinatown landmarks like the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Millennium Gate, was retained in 2008 to help rebuild the Society's origi- nal care home, which opened in 1978. Wai designed an 11-storey tower (later revised to 10) to add 86 rooms to the existing facility. He also envisioned all of the residences to be in single, pri- vate rooms that would be wheelchair accessible, equipped with a ceiling lift, washroom, shower, grab bars, and health-grade furniture. When Wai died in January of 2017, Wan Qi, principal at JYW Architecture Inc., picked up where Wai left off. The tower emphasizes livability: each residence (the smallest being a generous 240 square feet) is designed like a condominium suite, with the ensuite bathroom equipped with a pri- vate shower – a first for such a facility in Vancouver. Each of the 10 floors also has its own care neighbourhood concept consisting of a dining room next to an open-concept servery (to create a home-like atmosphere); a local lounge and leisure activity area (to encour- age socialization); access to an outdoor space through neighbourhood patios; a common spa; and a 24-hour care centre. "This building will also have a dedicated floor with a secure rooftop garden for residents with dementia," says Joey Cheung, Villa Cathay director of donor and community engagement. Aliki Gladwin and Jennifer McRoberts, the principal and interme- diate interior designer respectively of Aliki Gladwin & Associates Inc. (AGA), researched many avenues to provide value design in developing the interior colour schemes to reflect the Chinese culture of their past roots relating to the "garden home," including a mural of the existing facility. AGA was respon- sible for the entire new furniture package and window coverings that would enhance the homelike atmo- sphere of the living spaces. "A big factor on the project was addressing the appropriate interior architectural fin- ishes, furniture/fabrics," says Gladwin. The tower's exterior is highlighted by earth tones and red patterns, the latter arranged as a series of vertical bars with a horizontal cap, in keeping with the Asian esthetic of neighbour- ing buildings. The earth tones will be carried over as a highlight of the three- storey facility that will commence construction early next year, and whose L shape will provide a courtyard with heritage elements. Construction commenced in March 2017 with the demolition of a portion of the existing care home. "It was like a surgical cut into the facility," says Gurs Chatha, project co-ordinator, VanMar Constructors. "For example, we demol- ished the staff room and kitchenette 2:59 PM 8:55 AM 11:28 AM

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