Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/147234
MARK on 10th ust as the demographic group dubbed "Generation X" (people born between 1965 and the early 1980s) has made its mark on modern urban society, a new residential tower going up in downtown Calgary is looking to make its mark on them. MARK on 10th, according to Parham Mahboubi, VP of marketing and new developments at Qualex-Landmark, was conceived to be strikingly different from other residential glass towers rising in the city. The "Generation X" connection is more literal than you might think. Early in the project, Douglas Coupland was commissioned to create a large-scale art piece for the lobby. Coupland says his installation is "a distillation of Calgary that is both part of the modern world, yet also eternal. The forms become signs that will, across time, mellow and ripen within a viewer's memory." Due for completion in 2015, MARK on 10th is rising in a part of Calgary's Beltline neighbourhood becoming known as the Design District. The area has a funky, young feeling that the developers knew would help sell MARK to a young professional audience. "We did a lot of brainstorming at the beginning – I was invited to see the site even before the land had been purchased," says Foad Rafii of Rafii Architects Inc., which created the design and collaborated with BKDI Architects Inc. on implementation. "The locale is fantastic for walking to work. Also, the northeast corner faces the city lights, so there are incredible opportunities for views." Rafii highlights elements such as the playful yellow and blue lines intersecting the regular glass panes of the condo's skin. But what makes MARK most interesting is the way it rethinks the standard features of a basic condo tower, from the angled lobby to the rooftop amenity floor. The third floor features a fully-landscaped urban garden and instead of penthouses on the top floors (usually the area with the highest real estate value), there is a fitness facility, indoor lounge, outdoor BBQ and an elevated hot tub. Cantilevered out at an edgy angle at the top of the tower is a lounge clad in yellow glass. "At night it offers views of the Calgary skyline and in the daytime the yellow light gives you an uplifting feeling," says Rafii. As architect of record, BKDI handled the permitting processes and led the design team through the design J MARK on 10th p84-85Mark on 10th.indd 85 development and contract documents phases. "From my standpoint the key design elements that really stand out are the yellow glazed planter feature at the corner on the ground floor and the cantilevered yellow cube at the top of the building," says Jean Guy Beliveau, BKDI's director. Both features project out of the northeast corner of the building into one of the busiest pedestrian corridors leading into downtown. They provide a focal point for the project. "The intent of the planter is to be transparent and allow the visual of tallstanding bamboo in the planter. The yellow cube at the top features a lounge overlooking the city skyline and forms part of the amenity space. Both features will be illuminated at night. These two elements, while providing some of the key design features, also provided some of the more technically challenging aspects of the project," Beliveau adds. For Steve Ziehr of ITC Construction Group, the general contractor on the project, MARK on 10th is a positive indicator of the developers' confidence not only in the neighbourhood, but of positive signs in Calgary's often volatile real estate environment. "Within a span of five blocks or so of the site there are several projects that were scuttled at the start of the downturn, with no real understanding of what was going to happen. But this project is reigniting the fire, as it were. It could be the catalyst to revitalize the whole area," says Ziehr. What impressed Ziehr was the developers' attention to proper soundproofing, often a bone of contention in moderate-priced condominiums. "We even went so far as to hook up acoustic monitors to measure the amount of noise coming from the street. They are really serious about making it comfortable for the residents. The developers want it to be a showpiece for Calgary." It's not every day you step off an elevator and enter a fully-landscaped park several floors off the ground. "The main focus of the landscape design was twofold: to create a welcoming and engaging public experience at street level and a calm and serene common amenity experience for the building residents," explains Amber Paul of Durante Kreuk Ltd. that handled this aspect of the project. "The building is in a transitioning part of Calgary; it was important, therefore, to root the building in its surroundings and provide a vibrant and healthy urban experience at street level." Creating MARK's garden-in-thesky proved challenging. "It requires a courtesy Qualex-Landmark Developments Inc. by Martha Uniacke Breen commitment from the developer to provide a structure to support the garden [which can be costly]," says Paul. In Calgary there are also the additional challenges of weather. "The extreme temperature variations that occur in Calgary limit the number of plants that can survive these climatic challenges. On MARK the structural slab at level three is depressed 800 millimetres to accommodate the growing medium and insulation. This has allowed for a 'flush' garden design, with no upstand planter walls, where you can walk through the garden as you would through a park," adds Paul. Quality finishes and a hip, edgy feel guided the interior design by Trepp Design Inc. of Vancouver. "The architectural character and style of the building is modern, clean and linear," says principal Scott Trepp. "Kitchen cabinetry took on a more European, furniture approach. Refrigerators, dishwashers and range hood fans were implemented to reduce the visual impact of exposed appliances and full-height pantry towers were introduced and ovens [for the most part] were placed at counter level, along with fully-integrated microwave ovens." The appliances and cabinetry are from European makers, adding to the sleek Euro feel. Focused as it is on a young, sophisticated demographic, it's not surprising that the building has been a runaway success, selling well over half of its units by the end of April. "It's a boon for the area," says Ziehr. "I've met a lot of the surrounding business owners and they are very excited about it. This style of building is bringing a new tone to the whole district." ■ Location 901-10th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta Owner/Developer Qualex-Landmark Developments Inc. Architect BKDI Architects Associate Architect Rafii Architects Inc. General Contractor ITC Construction Group Structural Consultant Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. Mechanical Consultant Reinbold Engineering Group Electrical Consultant Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. Interior Design Consultant Trepp Design Inc. Landscape Consultant Durante Kreuk Ltd. Utilities Consultant Jubilee Engineering Ltd. Total area 290,000 square feet Construction Cost $100 million august 2013 /85 13-07-12 2:07 PM