Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/175815
PHOTOS: BRAD LAUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHICS / COURTESY ONNI GROUP The Shaughnessy on Lions Park by Robin Brunet etting trends rather than following them takes enormous experience, a keen sense of judgement, and considerable intestinal fortitude. Fortunately, the professionals at the Onni Group have all of these attributes – and they used them to their fullest effect with the development of The Shaughnessy on Lions Park in Port Coquitlam. The Shaughnessy on Lions Park is the irst highrise residential building in this geographically small city of 57,000 people. The 26-storey building features spacious one- to three-bedroom homes and a unique collection of townhomes designed by award-winning Lawrence Doyle of Young + Wright/IBI Group Architects. The building features brick accents that pay homage to Shaughnessy Street, loor-to-ceiling glass, spacious terraces, townhomes with rooftop decks and three single-storey penthouses with rooftop decks. Contemporary interiors feature vertical grain laminate cabinetry with composite stone countertops (in the kitchens and bathrooms), stainless steel KitchenAid appliances, trackless, stain-resistant carpeting in the bedrooms and durable laminate looring in the living and dining areas. The Shaughnessy also offers over 4,500 square feet of irstclass indoor and outdoor amenities, including a professionally equipped itness centre with state-of-the-art cardio equipment, free weights and stretching area, yoga studio, landscaped rooftop garden, outdoor barbecue area, and more. Beau Jarvis, vice president of development for Onni, calls The Shaughnessy, "Typical of our developments in that buyers receive tremendous value: it's $40 to $50 less expensive per square foot than premium highrise residences just down the road in Coquitlam, for example." Onni had been an active player in Port Coquitlam residential development via the construction of two low-rise buildings, as well as townhomes, and the redevelopment of the city's industrial area. Jarvis points out that the prospect of creating a highrise tower "was something that was supported by City Hall with our prior experience in Port Coquitlam, and it seemed like a good it." That said, selling the concept of The Shaughnessy to residents was somewhat "tumultuous," according to Jarvis. "The City was supportive, and density-wise it was appropriately located within a thriving commercial zone, but the community had reservations and council was divided over issues S The Shaughnessy on Lions Park p.84-85Shaughnessy.indd 85 such as parking, traf ic, building height, and so forth." Jarvis goes on to say, "None of this was surprising given that no other residential highrise had ever been built in the city. It was our responsibility to listen and acknowledge every concern and make our case in a thoughtful and respectful manner. Eventually, all the issues were resolved and everyone got on board. Selling the concept of The Shaughnessy to the community was by far our biggest challenge, but it certainly wasn't insurmountable and the end result has been extremely well-received by the community." In some ways, a irst-ever highrise condominium in Port Coquitlam in luenced the building's design. "We didn't set out to distinguish it from other towers in neighbouring communities," says Jarvis. "The goal was to try and it in with the surrounding environment of downtown Port Coquitlam." IBI project manager Jack Ting says, "The Shaughnessy was designed according to post-modern architecture standards, and since it was located right next to a park in a fairly old neighbourhood, the colour schemes were selected to impart an organic feel." He adds that the design was well advanced when IBI acquired Lawrence Doyle Young & Wright Architects, and that IBI was tasked with inishing the working drawings. "I came on board during the start of the construction phase in the summer of 2010 to oversee the production drawings while another architect supervised. There weren't any major problems throughout the long period of design, and I attribute that partly to Onni's clear vision as well as the fact that IBI has worked with the company for many years: we understand and trust each other's judgement." As with so many Onni projects in which the company acts as its own contractor, construction proceeded smoothly. "There were no unexpected challenges," says Jarvis. "Everything went as planned on budget and schedule, and we even managed to make some minor traf ic low improvements to the perimeter of the site." Onni in-house interior designer Radanka Trubka used a clean, contemporary design scheme for The Shaughnessy. Also, "We retained full-sized appliances because many of the buyers were coming from single-family homes, and that's what they were used to," she says. "We managed to get gas ranges and convection ovens, so there is a lot of value there." Trubka says the goal for the interior was to avoid lashy accoutrements like glass or mosaic accent tiles that can date quickly. Instead, a timeless design was selected. Jarvis notes that cities like Port Coquitlam "are increasingly planning for densi ication with transportation, mixed-use planning and more community amenities." The Shaughnessy will be less than ive minutes away from proposed Evergreen transit stations. Jarvis concludes: "The success of The Shaughnessy hardly means the end of our involvement in the area. We're presiding over the development of a master-planned community in the vicinity on Lougheed Highway very close to The Shaughnessy and Fremont Village where we have two other highrise towers in the permitting stage. Port Coquitlam is a very lively place to be, and we're excited about its future." ■ LOCATION 2789 Shaughnessy Street Port Coquitlam, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER/CONTRACTOR Onni Group ARCHITECT IBI/HB Architects Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT John Bryson & Partners MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SRC Engineering Consultants Ltd. CIVIL CONSULTANT Paragon Engineering LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT DMG Landscape Architects TOTAL SIZE 159,000 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST Undisclosed OCTOBER 2012 /85 9/19/12 2:41 PM