Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1385297
J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 93 468 West Avenue R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E SY M EI K L EJ O H N A RC H I T EC T S I N C .; S H OW SU I T E P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY M I SS I O N G RO U P 468 WEST AVENUE by LAURA NEWTON K elowna's South Pandosy neigh- bourhood is now home to 468 West Avenue, a boutique rental community by Mission Group featur- ing rental apartments with retail space below. The building was designed to provide residents with meaningful Okanagan living amid the high-ame- nity, walkable, urban surroundings. "Equally accessible to both the South Pandosy urban centre and nearby beaches, the building archi- tecture has taken cues from West Coast styling, while still being at home within the Okanagan land- scape," says Luke Turri of Mission Group. "Recognizing the eclectic nature of the neighbourhood, we hope to bring a fresh design language that will complement the existing character of the area." The non-combustible building has a single-storey, podium-style con- crete base structure with five storeys of lightweight, prefabricated steel stud structural and non-structural wall framing. "The superstructure was manufactured, supplied, and installed by Canam Buildings," explains Turri. "A terrific feature that stands out to us is how quiet the building is," says Turri, noting the open-web, steel Hambro floor joists, covered with four-inch concrete floor slabs. "With the concrete and steel structure and all cast-iron drainpipes, you do not hear the people living above and you do not hear annoying sounds like toi- let flushes and water splashing its way down the plumbing stacks that run through the walls." The building's open-web joists also allowed for HVAC equipment and dis- tribution ductwork to be installed in the joist spaces, resulting in little-to- no drop ceilings or bulkheads. Jim Meiklejohn of Meiklejohn Architects Inc. explains that the building is designed with a "continu- ously insulated rainscreen facade with one-inch of mineral wool insulation outboard of a six-inch insulated wood stud cavity to reduce heat loss and improve the building energy perfor- mance, as well as comfort." Connecting the building to the street-front, the podium is clad in dark charcoal masonry. "The base uti- lizes a dark grey brick that creates a feeling of permanence and solidity," describes Meiklejohn. The upper levels are clad primarily with fibre-cement HardiePanel, while windows are a mixture of clear anodized aluminum at the commercial base and white vinyl on the upper residential levels. Residents arrive in the building through brick portal frame to a bright and spacious lobby. "We put a lot of thought into the lobby experience through design," explains Turri, noting the lobby's double-height ceilings and fea- ture wall with a mix of walnut millwork, preserved moss wall panel and custom fabricated decorative metal screen. Common area flooring is a com- bination of ceramic tile, carpet tile, and epoxy, flake flooring, while inte- rior walls and ceilings are constructed with drywall. "Low-VOC paints, adhe- sives, and finishing materials were used throughout," adds Turri. The development's apartment units come in multiple sizes and configu- rations. "The building was designed and built with the tenants' quality of life and security in mind, from start to finish," says Turri. Close to 7,000 square feet of ame- nity space is available to tenants on the roof of the parking garage at the building's second storey. "We wanted to create a space for residents to truly enjoy the Okanagan weather, so we created a landscaped amenity ter- race on the west side of the building with lounge areas, BBQ areas, com- munity gardens and bocce," says Turri of the large outdoor communal space. Landscaped with trees, planting beds and synthetic lawn, the space offers a potting shed, as well as furnished and unfurnished areas for outdoor living. "Bicycle use is growing rapidly in the Kelowna's Mission district, so the project is equipped with secure bike storage room for 24 bikes and bike service area, as well as a pet wash sta- tion," explains Meiklejohn. Turri adds that bike racks will also be installed at the back of most stalls, and will add storage for more than 60 bikes. Two EV charging stations are also installed with conduits roughed in to accommodate the future installation of EV charging for every parking stall inside and outside the garage. For energy efficiency, LED light fixtures are installed throughout the interior and exterior of the building, as well as occupancy sensor light- ing controls, smart thermostats in all suites, high-efficiency split HVAC sys- tems, high-efficiency water heaters and high-performance windows and patio doors. HVAC systems are fully ducted for efficient distribution of warm and cool air for maximum efficiency and comfort, explains Turri, noting that each suite is equipped with an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system. "The end result is a great-looking building with a top-quality structure, high-performance systems and an ele- vated level of livability," concludes Turri. A LOCATION 468 West Avenue, Kelowna, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER Mission Group ARCHITECT Meiklejohn Architects Inc. GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Mission Group STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT RJC Engineers MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Reinbold Engineering ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Falcon Engineering Ltd. BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Williams Engineering Canada L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Bench Site Design Inc. INTERIOR DESIGN Hatch Interior Design Inc. TOTAL SIZE 35,000 Square Feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed 2:31 PM 2:47 PM