Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/687429
J UNE 2016 | 85 Wallace & McDowell RENDERINGS COURTESY STABURN PROPERTY GROUP LTD. Wallace & McDowell by ZUZANNA WODZYNSKA I n June, the Wallace & McDowell development will be joining the dynamic growing community of Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver, B.C. For an area steeped in history it made sense that the project should be named after two of its pioneers; Alfred Wallace who opened a shipyard at the base of Lonsdale Avenue around the turn of the 20th century, and Marcus McDowell who opened a pharmacy on the corner of Lonsdale Avenue and 1st Street in 1904. The building that housed McDowell's Drugstore still stands on the southeast corner and was the longest-running, continuously occupied commercial space on the North Shore. It has now been rehabilitated and became the cornerstone that cemented the overall design of its new neighbour. "For Wallace & McDowell, we took the approach to transition from pure heritage in the corner to contemporary at the other end of the block," explains Keith Hemphill, partner at Rositch Hemphill Architects (RHA). "This design transition and the shape of the building itself are a product of the steep slope of Lower Lonsdale." The changing grade from the southern corner of the block to its northern end, as well as zoning and height restrictions, forced the mixed- use, L-shaped building to step its way up the hill. This essentially created three-tiered sections with a variety of exterior materials that define the design transition Hemphill describes. The section nearest the little heritage building houses office space. "We chose to use a new red brick that is made to look like it's reclaimed to add character," notes Hemphill. The brick and large arched windows lend themselves well to commercial space and also allow for stunning views of the harbour and Downtown Vancouver across the water. Next is the middle section with a two-storey breezeway allowing public access from busy Lonsdale Avenue to the neighbouring urban park. "The part of the building that is above and wraps around both sides of the breezeway is a different brick, with a change in colour and texture that set it apart and hearken to a later heritage era than the office space," continues Hemphill. The north end of the building, meanwhile, is entirely contemporary with window walls and metal panels. "We called the approach Heritage Made Modern," says Stephen Henderson, partner and co-owner of Staburn Property Group, who alongside Jeff Wren acted as developers on the project. "It was of paramount importance to us and to the City of North Vancouver to have the heritage building seamlessly incorporated into the new development." Each five-storey step allows for large, south-facing private outdoor terraces for many of the units and everyone has access to an outdoor courtyard, which further transitions the building from old to new. "The garden design is based on Persian geometries, with an axial symmetry that terminates on both ends with octagons and a symbolic mosaic rill that connects the two areas," describes Kristina Zalite, landscape architect on the project from Jonathan Losee Ltd. "We used four different rose varieties, including Bill Reid roses named after the famous sculptor, as well as Persian Ironwood trees that have a beautiful grey bark and leaves that have many colours throughout the seasons." These elements simultaneously draw on some of the oldest garden designs in the world and reflect the neighbourhood's current cultural makeup. Along with melding the past with the present, the project also takes provision of the future. "Wallace & McDowell was constructed to Built Green Gold and ASHRAE 2010 energy standards," explains Henderson. "This was a voluntary and collective decision among owners, lenders, designers and contractors as we all felt a duty to do our best on a sustainability basis." Ventana Construction Corporation was the general contractor on the