Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/175815
LOCATION 3515 Wesbrook Mall (Dahlia House) 3565 Wesbrook Mall (Magnolia House) Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER UBC Properties Trust ARCHITECT Rositch Hemphill Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER COURTESY ROSITCH HEMPHIL + ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS Jakin Engineering & Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Thomas Leung Structural Engineering Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT MCW Consultants Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Jarvis Engineering Consultants Ltd. BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Aqua-Coast Engineering Ltd. INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT Laura Vroom Design LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT Dahlia House and Magnolia House – UBC Perry + Associates TOTAL AREA 106,000 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $15 million by John T.D. Keyes hanks to the construction of two new buildings in the Wesbrook neighbourhood, the University of British Columbia has been able to substantially increase its portfolio of residential rental accommodation for faculty and staff, especially those with families. "It's the largest faculty and staff project we've done at a single time," says Michelle Paquet, development manager for UBC Properties Trust. "Normally we would do one building, but the arrangement of the site lent itself nicely to do two buildings over a shared parking facility. It added roughly 40 per cent to our staff and faculty portfolio, and our research must have served us well, because before the work was even complete, all of the units had been leased." Located in the 3500 block of Wesbrook Mall, the project is comprised of two four-storey, wood-frame, L-shaped residential buildings, each offering one-, two- and three-bedroom units. "What we were trying to do was introduce character that would be a bit of a departure from what has been built thus far along Wesbrook," says Keith Hemphill, principal at Rositch Hemphill Architects. "There's a kind of vernacular that has developed south of the Mews, and we wanted to change it up. We chose a pitched roof, and a slightly different approach to the materials and colours. And we wanted to distinguish between the two buildings with a colour scheme that's unique to each phase of the project." As a result, Dahlia House, to the north, is the larger with 60 units; its facade features tan-coloured brick and dark olive HardiePlank with white sand trim. Magnolia, its sister property to the south, has 47 units of similar con iguration; here the facade presents red brick with grey HardiePlank and white sand trim. From the outset, as options for the site were being discussed, it was a given that the end result would conform to the Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP), a comprehensive green building rating system, developed by UBC, for mandatory application to all residential construction on the campus. REAP awards points in seven performance categories, ranging from site sustainability to construction materials to indoor environmental quality, and recognizes ive performance levels, from Basic Compliance to Platinum. "Dahlia and Magnolia will achieve REAP Gold," says Paquet. Hitting that target was the irst priority for Jakin Engineering and Construction Ltd., the project's construction manager. "Our role was to incorporate those sustainability goals," says Freeman Lane, the company's associate director. This meant ensuring that REAP standards were met regarding wall, roof T Dahlia House and Magnolia House – UBC p.78-79Dahlia.indd 79 and loor construction and insulation; using sealants and adhesives that minimized levels of VOCs to enhance indoor air quality; and installing low-energy lighting, a computerized boiler management system that optimizes energy ef iciency, state-of-the-art makeup air units on the roof, occupancy sensors and Energy Star windows, among myriad other details. Accomplishing this on a very demanding schedule was Lane's other priority. "The client had committed tenant leases, so there was zero tolerance for schedule slippage. Despite challenges, the trades worked hard to complete the job on time. For example, we discovered at the beginning of construction that there was a live high-voltage line running through the site, so it had to be rerouted before we could continue. It was also one of the wettest spring/early summer seasons on record." Another energy conservation technology implemented is an individual water meter for each suite. This system, provided by QMC Metering Solutions, ensures each resident is only charged for the water they consume, as opposed to paying a lat rate, built into their strata fees. "All the meters' data is available to the tenants online, so they can see when they are consuming water throughout the day, month and year," says Mike Easton, national sales manager with QMC Metering Solutions. "This information, as well as the 'pay-for-use' aspect, encourages water conservation and provides savings to those residents who do not waste water." For interior designer Laura Vroom of Laura Vroom Design, the overall challenge was "making the suites appeal to tenants of various ages; making the suites feel like home and yet also be durable. Because these are rental properties, there are people moving in and out more often than in owner-occupied buildings, so wear and tear is an issue." Durability and an appealing esthetic can sometimes be contradictory concepts, she admits. "Durable products often feel like commercial products, making a space feel institutional, like a school." Veneer doors, ingenious lighting placement and custom moulding in the hallways have mitigated that effect. But one requirement in particular stood out for the interior designer: the fact that Dahlia House is a pet-friendly rental building. "We tried to select carpets with a residential feel, but with pets carpets can wear quickly, and accidents do happen." The suites were itted with rolled carpet, but for the common areas where tenants and their pets will come and go, Vroom opted for a modular solution. "We used two-foot by two-foot carpet tiles that are glued in place and can be easily replaced." For Michael Patterson, principal at Perry + Associates, a key accomplishment was creating a landscape design that would simultaneously link and separate the two L-shaped buildings. "We worked to create a continuity of inish in the landscape along the street edge, transitioning into the central breezeway and common area courtyards," says Patterson. "We accentuated the entry to the breezeway with a granite-clad arbour and trellis element to provide a welcoming entry for residents accessing their patios. The trellis element is repeated at the west end of the breezeway to provide a focal point, and we have provided a trellis and barbecue for resident use and enjoyment in the courtyards." The site's plantings along the perimeter and in the courtyard were chosen based on localized availability and presence in the neighbourhood, supported by a programmable irrigation system that enhances sustainability. Every effort was made to maximize patio sizes for the ground loor units with plantings to provide screening for privacy. As far as Keith Hemphill is concerned, the completed site "plugs perfectly into the master plan for the whole Wesbrook precinct. I'm very happy with the look of it and the construction quality. We brought the timber elements out into the facade in keeping with West Coast architecture. One of the area's strengths is how UBC has dealt with everything from landscaping to integrating groundwater management. This project is part of that whole urban design effort. To me it's one of the most successful master plans we've had the opportunity to work with." ■ OCTOBER 2012 /79 9/11/12 12:15 PM