Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/493534
A PR IL 2015 | 79 2950 Jutland Road PHOTOGRAPHY NATHAN FLACH/COURTESY D'AMBROSIO ARCHITECTURE + URBANISM 2950 Jutland Road by JESSICA KIRBY I f there is such a thing as a perfect end- ing, 2950 Jutland Road might just be it. The final development in Victoria, B.C.'s multi-function Selkirk Waterfront Community, 2950 Jutland Road is a six- storey office and retail building with a close contextual relationship with the water's edge. Curved architecture mimics the roll- ing sea while expansive curtain wall affords stunning views of the Gorge Waterway. The two-and-a-half-year build wrapped up in February, bringing two lower floors of retail space, office space on the upper floors, eight luxury residen- tial suites and two levels of underground parking to the development. Robert Jawl, with Jawl Properties Ltd., says the principal objective was to create a class A office, residential and retail premises, and to do so in a man- ner that allowed for a seamless contex- tual fit. "From a design perspective, the contextual fit was achieved through employing similar architectural strate- gies as elsewhere in the neighbourhood, playing off of the curvature of Jutland Road with the east-facing facade, using transparency to open up views towards the waterfront, and accommodating a mix of uses inside in keeping with the character of Selkirk," says Jawl. Franc D'Ambrosio, principal with D'Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism, says 2950 Jutland Road completes a sweeping curve in the urban form of the Selkirk Waterfront Community. "[The form] follows the street and intersects with the linear water's edge and waterfront boardwalk that was built on piles that once carried a railway spur line into the sawmill, which had been on the site for about 80 years," he says. The building is designed for three distinct uses, says D'Ambrosio: street- front, double-height commercial spaces, two storeys of waterfront residential apartments and four levels of office space above. The lobbies for the offices and the residences are on two separate street-fronts adjoining the complex, with their own identity and addresses. The lower floors are clad in brick, exposed concrete and bronze-anodized aluminum glass, while the upper floors are clad in a curtain wall assembly of bronze-anodized aluminum frames with low-glass vision panels and solid bronze-anodized and glazed spandrel panels below at each floor. "The sixth floor has two heights with the taller height expressed by a verti- cally extended glass wall facing the water side," says D'Ambrosio. Kimberly Williams, principal interior designer with Kimberly Williams Interiors Ltd., says her team wanted each living space in the residential component to feel vibrant like the community, yet sophisti- cated and calming like a little oasis. "Every day will feel like a vacation when you enjoy the open space and incredible views," she says. "We pulled inspiration for the materials from the trestle and the fact that the site was an old saw mill," says Williams. "The team used raw, natural and recy- cled materials where possible, and also tried to create a cohesive look between the architects' concept and the vibrant community of the Selkirk development," Williams adds. "From the interior suites and common area st andpoint we wanted to create a living space that looked like an extension to the out- side. We worked on the feel of natural, durable and environmentally conscious materials that still present an elegant and luxurious feel." Built at the edge of a seawater inlet, the site at 2950 Jutland Road posed some challenges. Tony Horlor, P.Eng. with Herold Engineering Ltd. says the building com- prises a concrete flat slab structure with long spans dictated by a need for flex- ible office planning. "It has concrete col- umns and shear walls, and a residential wing is par- tially overlaid by the office tower component," he says. "Because of the various uses and occupancies, it was challenging to develop a structure that accom- modated all of the special needs of these areas." The site is a formerly reclaimed industrial prop- erty, and the lowest water levels are below high tide, which required a sur- rounding perimeter clay dyke, he says. "The ground conditions were variable, and subject to compress- ibility under heavy loads, so part of the building is supported on a raft founda- tion, while heavier loaded elements are supported by large diameter caissons extended into bedrock." The structure is also built in one of Canada's most active seismic zones, calling for a concrete structure to mitigate the issue. The new building is connected to the adjacent building, which is partially occu- pied by the same tenant, so a two-level sky bridge was constructed between the two structures. "Because the bridge had to span across an existing vehicle access without inter- mediate columns, an innovative cable type of structure was developed," says Horlor. "The large diameter diagonal rods expressed outside of the glass enclosure provide an elegant and interesting ele- ment to the building." Scot t Murdoch, pr incipal w it h Murdoch de Greeff Inc. landscape archi- tects says the property's adjacency to the water played an important role in LOCATION 2950 Jutland Road, Victoria, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER/ PROJECT MANAGER Jawl Properties Ltd. ARCHITECT D'Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Herold Engineering Ltd. MECHANICAL/CIVIL CONSULTANT WSP ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Applied Engineering Solutions Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Murdoch de Greeff Inc. INTERIOR DESIGN Kimberly Williams Interiors Ltd. TOTAL AREA $65,660 square feet CONSTRUCTION BUDGET Approximately $22 million 10:22 AM