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J U N E 2 0 2 5 | 73 M4 at Main Alley P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G EO R D I E M I L N E /CO U RT E S Y W E S T BA N K M4 AT MAIN ALLEY by ROBIN BRUNET G iving the impression that its composition is that of irregu- larly shaped cubes stacked on top of and protruding out from each other, M4 at Main Alley is the latest striking addition to Westbank's Main Alley Campus. The first Zero Carbon tech campus in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, steps from a future Millennium-Broadway Line Station, the project is set to become one of the best-connected workspaces in Canada. M4 is designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, following the M2 building, which also features canti- levered volumes that, combined with highly reflective facades, appear to float in mid-air. With Westbank as an active collabo- rator, the architects designed M4 as a 10-storey facility with 166,800 square feet of office space, 38,000 square feet of light industrial and retail space, and 21,400 square feet of outdoor space, augmented by five levels of underground parking. Ariele Peterson, communications director at Westbank, says, "Back in 2014 when M4 was first envisioned, the City of Vancouver passed zoning that allowed us to redevelop a sec- tion of traditional industrial off Main Street as an innovation hub. The over- all campus was designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, with laneways and outdoor spaces envisioned as extensions of the interior workspaces." Overall, Main Alley consists of reno- vating two existing buildings (including M1) and the construction of three new buildings (including the eight-storey M2) to accommodate between 5,000 and 6,000 workers. An existing alley that runs parallel to Main Street was repurposed as a new pedestrian-ori- ented walkway through the campus and an artery for the neighbourhood. As is the case with the other build- ings on site, M4 appears as a lighter, modernistic version of the tradi- tional warehouse district that is so common in Canada and which Westbank wanted to distance itself from. However, Henriquez Partners Architects developed it to stand apart from the predominantly white- coloured Main Alley campus with dominant black metal exterior com- ponents. "We wanted M4 to be a centrepiece of the campus, and this was the simplest and most effective way to achieve that," Peterson says, adding that glass block detailing for the entrance at grade was selected as an attractive visual counterpoint to the black metal above and enhanced the 'floating' effect of the building. The architects also developed the concrete building's core and shell to meet LEED Gold standards, with high performance triple-glazed windows, 100 percent fresh air heat recovery ven- tilation, and a tie-in to the Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility: a low-carbon source for domes- tic heating and hot water. A Centralized Campus Cooling Plant by Creative Energy will also reduce energy costs and free up additional space for ten- ant storage and rooftop amenities (data server rooms were located below grade to allow for more open work environments on the office floors). M4 is also designed to have many unique features, including a rooftop terrace with agricultural planters; six private outdoor terraces; an elaborate exterior screening system; and custom outdoor paving. In terms of interior aesthetics, the lobby is comprised of a light pad feature, along with mirrored metal ceilings, and porcelain tile floor- ing. Black metal panels were carried into the lobby walls and wood millwork was selected for above grade common corridor walls. The remainder of each floor plate has exposed structural ceil- ings to retain the neighbourhood's historic industrial ambiance. Kanin Construction Management broke ground on the site in 2020, and although work crews had to contend with the challenges associated with a tight urban site, they also benefitted from alley space that could be used for parking and other purposes. "We also had to cope with material shortages due to supply chain issues that were brought about by the pandemic," Peterson says. M4 is expected to be fully com- plete by the end of spring; meanwhile, Westbank is busy with the permit- ting stage of M5, which Henriquez Partners Architects has designed as one of the tallest mass timber build- ings in the world and the first of 100 buildings built with the support of the provincial government's Mass Timber Demonstration Program. Peterson concludes, "Henriquez and executive architect Adamson Associates Architects have been instrumental in making Main Alley a unique campus offering something beautiful but that is also instantly recognizable as a centre for light industrial, digital entertainment/ information communications technol- ogy, and other uses. It's been a complex puzzle to put together, but we're excited by how it's taking shape." A LOCATION 110 East 5th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER Westbank EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT Adamson Associates Architects DESIGN ARCHITECT Henriquez Partners Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Kanin Construction Management Inc. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Glotman•Simpson MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Ocean Park Mechanical BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT LDR Engineering Group CIVIL CONSULTANT Binnie L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Hapa Collaborative TOTAL SIZE 207,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed

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