Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1174518
OCTOBER 2019 | 61 The Windsor RENDERINGS COURTESY ANKENMAN MARCHAND ARCHITECTS + IMANI DEVELOPMENT The Windsor by ROBIN BRUNET W hen IMANI Development acquired property along Vancouver's Kingsway thor- oughfare in early 2016, it was with the intent of using an accompanying design by Ankenman Marchand Architects to create an exciting new mixed-use development that would positively impact the immediate neighbourhood. Now, as the 132-residential unit The Windsor begins to take shape, all parties involved in the project concede that numerous logistical chal- lenges had to be surmounted in order for the building to meet a completion date in 2020 – but the effort has been well worth it. "We believe that The Windsor is a contemporary addition to Kingsway, with homes that are well priced and yet will exhibit exceptional quality," says Darren Trester, IMANI's director of development. Ankenman designed a 12-floor tower for the west side of the property arising from a five-level podium, aug- mented by a five-level mid-rise to the east. At ground level, the project was designed to accommodate 10 retail units totalling over 9,000 square feet. Wide setbacks were incorporated to allow for 24-foot wide sidewalks front- ing Kingsway, while a 40-foot wide mid-block public courtyard will include permanent seating, landscaped plant- ers, and public art by Vanessa Brown. The residential portion of the proj- ect consists of a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, with interior design by award-winning i3 design. Amenities include an indoor entertain- ment room, fitness centre, and outdoor amenity. The outdoor area includes outdoor dining, a children's play area, plots for urban agriculture, and an open lawn area. Three levels of underground park- ing will accommodate 165 cars and 165 bicycles. To ensure the development would appear striking and yet retain stylis- tic elements of the classic Kingsway thoroughfare, it was decided that brick cladding would be used for the street level retail components; above would be window wall and coloured concrete, with a striking aluminum panel clad- ding at the fifth floor. Of Ankenman's design, Trester says, "We worked with the architect to re- allocate the density and refine the design and other project elements as part of the rezoning and development permit processes. For the building per- mit and construction portion of the project we retained IBI Group to help us with a relatively complex build-out." Ground broke on the proj- ect in August of 2018, and Syncra Construction Corp. crews along with sub trades quickly learned that the City of Vancouver's tough development reg- ulations applied to Kingsway in spades. "The Windsor extends from property line to property line; the rear lane is unusable because it contains high volt- age power lines, and on Kingsway there is a network of TransLink over- head trolley lines," says Syncra project manager Masoud Safarian. "So we placed the crane on the southeast por- tion of the site and have to carefully pick lift points between the openings of this grid." Soil removal for the underground parkade had to be finished with small excavators, and to stay on schedule Syncra "undertook the formwork, rebar and mechanical at one end of the site before the excavation was fin- ished," says Safarian. The builders also have to con- tend with deliveries being restricted to certain hours and to a single lane LOCATION 2435 and 2455 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER IMANI Development ARCHITECTS Ankenman Marchand Architects / IBI Group Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Syncra Construction Corp. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Integral Group Inc. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. INTERIOR DESIGN i3 design TOTAL SIZE 133,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed on Kingsway. "Simultaneous deliver- ies are not possible, which means we can only bring in one concrete truck at a time while the others wait blocks away," says Safarian. "We also have to use smaller than standard waste bins that we move around with cranes throughout the site, and we can't place anything on the sidewalk. The require- ments are definitely complicated, but we've dealt with each issue as it comes and are still on track for completion next summer." Thanks to its location on one of the highest points in Vancouver, The Windsor will give residents unob- structed panoramic views in addition to the benefits of a contemporary West Coast design. "As of the begin- ning of September we are roughly 90 percent sold, and we are excited to see the building begin to take shape," says Trester. "We are proud to be provid- ing additional housing in the Norquay Village neighbourhood." A 8:14 AM 2:02 PM