Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
The Gardens by Jessica Krippendorf PHOTOS: ROBERT STEFANOWICZ T he Gardens is a self-contained, live-work-play urban resi- dential village in Richmond, B.C. that is breathing life into a 22-acre site with humble beginnings and a wild past. Once farmland and later home to the Fantasy Gardens amusement park, The Gardens represents a new vision for the area that celebrates life, food, affordability and luxury living. The mixed-use development will contain 500,000 square feet of residential space and 90,000 square feet of commercial space spread over five buildings. Part of the development approval process included the designation of 12 acres of adjacent parkland, which has been retained and gifted back to the City of Richmond for public use. Pedestrian-oriented street plazas, lush green space and amenities ranging from community gathering space to a day- care encourage self-contained living at its finest. The Gardens also includes below-grade parking and some surface parking to accommodate commercial use. "The concept is to create a community where people can live, shop and play," says Chris Colbeck, VP of sales and mar- keting for developer Townline Group. "It is meant to appeal to a diverse group of end-users and offers a quiet place with easy access to downtown and the U.S. border, without the conges- tion of central Richmond." The first two buildings in a four-phase series are com- plete, each involving three levels of residential condominium space over a commercial podium and underground parking structures. Glass artist Joel Berman has created a signature corner at No. 5 Rd. and Stevenson with a multi-coloured, multi- dimensional glass window wall that provides a gateway to the development. "It makes a strong architectural statement," says Colbeck. "It is a memory point that anchors the corner with art, a dra- matic overhang and large wood beams at the front." A gateway plaza and urban fountain space comple- ment the glass feature wall, which angles up toward the sky to reflect the angular soffit and provides a backdrop for the water jets in the fountain. Here, a staircase leads to an upper landscape plaza where an interactive water feature encourages users to walk though it along stepping blocks, or take advantage of benches at a nearby rest area. The compact, village component was key in delivering the overall design, says Raymond Letkeman, principal at Raymond Letkeman Architects Inc. "The building design and massing for the overall development is based on the creation of a pedestrian friendly, village environment that builds on the site's context and history and contributes to the sustain- ability of the region," he says. The project's exterior character is constructed with a mix of natural, contemporary materials including coloured glass, concrete and masonry, Glulam timbers, steel canopies and wood trellises. On the Steveston Highway frontage the varied use and scale of materials, glazing patterns, sun shading screens and architectural components, respond to the highway's predomi- nant commercial context. "Many of the same materials are used as in the corner fea- ture building but are expressed differently," says Letkeman. "Whether driving by quickly or at rest at the intersection, whether walking or cycling along adjacent paths, the building and landscape design provide a variety of readings of the buildings at these dif- fering scales." The internal street side of the proj- ect encourages a vibrant village envi- ronment t hrough well-ar t iculated residential and commercial frontages, consistently ordered and scaled but esthetically expressed in a variety of forms to mimic a diverse, downtown- type ambiance. Upgraded paving , raised cross- ings, plantings and bollards provide an important separation between pedes- trians and the roadways, further facili- tating the theme. The two finished buildings are set back from Stevenson in a U-shape with a higher podium above the retail com- ponents, creating a sound buffer for the residential units, says Colbeck. The Gardens 3:37 PM