Award

8 | AUGUST 2017 GBL Architects units of market housing, 260 units of non-market and 80,000 square feet of com- mercial space. A notable component of this test-bed community was Canada's first multi-family net zero building. "Back then, LEED was in its infancy and the project would set the bar as part of the City of Vancouver's endeavour to become the Greenest City in world by 2020," explains Goodwin. "We were working under a tight deadline that wasn't negotiable, so we were designing as people were building. It was a very exciting project to be part of," adds Brudar. More recently, two projects that provided unique opportunities are 8X On The Park and Jubilee House. "The stories of these two buildings go hand in hand. The original Jubilee House was a social housing project that sat on the corner of a promi- nent park in the Yaletown neighbourhood of Vancouver. The building had exceeded its lifecycle and the housing society running it needed a new facility. We designed the new, recently completed Jubilee House across the street from the original. It nearly doubled the housing capacity to 162 units, provided new homes for all of the residents of the old building, and freed up the site for a new mixed-use tower that is currently under construction – 8X On The Park," says Stevens. In fact, 8X is a fantastic example of the aforementioned focus on buildings having stories to tell. "This part of the city is so dynamic, there is an eight-storey heritage building next door, the large urban park it flanks is heavily used and the Yaletown skyline is an array of unique towers and architectural expression. The building pro- gram is also very dynamic with ground level retail, a daycare, rental units and mar- ket condos," says Stevens. "We put a lot of effort into the livability, efficiency and performance of the building; but then there is this whole extra layer of expression and contextual references wrapped into it. Architects joke about a design never being truly complete, but when there is a reason for every move made you feel like you have come pretty close. This is one of those projects that feels awfully close to 'done.' We may have to revisit this sentiment in a few years and see how it feels." With countless awards and key members of the team sitting on numerous influ- ential advisory panels such as the Vancouver Urban Design Panel and the Richmond Advisory Design Panel, the qualifications themselves could speak to the commit- ment of GBL and its team to architecture in B.C. But it's listening to what the staff have to say that gives you a true understand- ing of what drives this dynamic team and how they like to face any challenge with an openness and co-operation that helps them navigate any obstacle. "Over the years we have been fortunate to have established a strong client base, but as markets become increasingly competitive we find ourselves facing progres- sively condensed delivery schedules with increasingly complex building code and municipal regulations. Maintaining a simplified management structure and a moti- vated, cohesive design team, contributes significantly to easing these challenges," says Brudar. However, don't be mistaken, striving for this simplicity takes a lot of work. "There is a balance between freedom and rigour as an office grows from 30 to 60-plus mem- bers. Our biggest challenge has been learning to walk that fine line. Where it has become particularly challenging is with project scale, where larger projects require more hierarchy and administration than others. Our ability to maintain this balance is what has allowed us to take on a very wide range of project scales," adds Goodwin. And as for the future? Brudar says that over the past 10 years things have been changing so rapidly in the architectural sector, that change has become the norm. She adds that in response to a continued push for higher levels of sustainability, the architectural community as a whole is having to make a concerted effort to shift away from pre-conceived ideas of how we design buildings. "Although easier said than done, we are trying to embrace the opportunity for more simplified sustain- able design approaches, particularly in alignment with the City of Vancouver's new Passive House mandate. At GBL we have a number of in-house Certified Passive House designers helping to implement an office-wide change in mentality through the organization of studio workshops and design seminars." It is, without a doubt, exciting times for both GBL and architecture in B.C. A PHOTOGRAPHY + RENDERING COURTESY GBL ARCHITECTS 8x On The Park, Vancouver, B.C. Collection 45 [GBL Office], Vancouver, B.C. Jubilee House, Vancouver, B.C.

• Cover