Award

J U N E 2 0 2 3 | 61 The Butterfly R EN D ER I N GS BY H AY E S DAV I DS O N /CO U RT E S Y R E V ERY A RC H I T EC T U R E + W E S T BA N K THE BUTTERFLY by ROBIN BRUNET T he Butterfly in downtown Vancouver may be the closest thing to architectural poetry that is possible in the context of a res- idential tower. Its uniqueness as a vertical neighbourhood in the sky was inspired by a design brief from Westbank's founder to design a build- ing that would take his breath away. Revery design principal Venelin Kokalov recalls, "Like a butterfly caressing one's skin, we were inspired to design a building that would touch people's hearts, and Westbank sup- ported us tremendously." This mixed-use development com- bines a 57-storey condo tower with the heritage restoration of the historic First Baptist Church (FBC), new ancil- lary space for church programming, and an affordable rental building. The tower's sculpted façade is comprised of insulated Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) panels that both curve and project to emulate clouds, high performance curved glazing, and wide spanning balconies. The para- bolic chamfers of the arches at the tower's base were designed to reflect the heritage structure and inspired by the church's pipe organ motifs. Outdoor sky gardens form another unique feature at each residential level of the tower: semi-private spaces reconnect residents with nature high above the ground, while promoting friendly neighbourly interactions. Deciduous trees, rooted in custom- designed planters on every third level breezeway, grow upward to green the levels above. The gardens also provide natural cooling, ventilation, and day- lighting, enhancing occupant comfort and reducing overall energy demands compared to traditional corridors. Also, The Butterfly's 50-metre swimming pool is one-of-a-kind: bridging the podium roof and the tow- er's main amenity space and enclosed by modular, prefabricated structural ribs that support a glass enclosure, the pool's strategic position to the north of the site will ensure natural shading year-round. Westbank's goal when they first engaged Bing Thom in 2012 was to "change the high-rise typology" using natural light, natural ventilation, and natural forms. They developed many iterations of The Butterfly, includ- ing a tower sitting on top of the First Baptist Church as well as a twin tower proposal. In the end, Revery and Westbank chose a single tower scheme of four joined cylindrical forms, its massing lightened by an open verti- cal spine. The tower's curved concrete façade represents clouds and the curved glass the sky. Bryce Gauthier, principal, Gauthier + Associates Landscape Architects Inc., says of the sky gardens, "They were a brilliant Revery idea: you arrive on your floor via elevator, the doors open, and you're in the fresh air with trees and flowers around you; then you enter your apartment." Light, wind, and shadow studies were undertaken to help determine ideal placement of planters and other garden elements. Equal care was spent developing a plaza with water feature at ground level as well as a parkette courtyard for the tower that also acts as a break between a new First Baptist Church- owned affordable rental building. "The curving forms of the tower and of the sky garden landscape fea- tures were replicated in these areas," Gauthier says.

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