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AUGUST 2017 | 83 Novare RENDERINGS COURTESY SOUTH STREET DEVELOPMENT GROUP Novare by LAURIE JONES U nlike most of the booming residential construction in Metro Vancouver, the 26-storey Novare tower in New Westminster, B.C. is 100 per cent rental suites. With 282 units including studio, one-bedroom and two- bedroom apartments in the high-rise section, and eight two-level townhouses featuring three bedrooms, this building is the first purely rental complex to be built in the city in over 30 years. "The existing rental stock in New Westminster is getting very old so it was time," says Sam Hanson, managing director, and founder and president of South Street Development Group. "Many economic factors went in our favour as well, and the City of New Westminster was more than co-operative, and indeed was a driving force to secure the project." The site previously held an abandoned office owned by the City and two houses that were not salvageable. "New Westminster is in a bit of a renaissance right now," says Hanson. "There are lots of developments planned, including offices and retail, and people have finally woken up to the fact that it's so close to downtown Vancouver but is still affordable, compared to many surrounding municipalities. That's going to change soon." Hanson adds that the views from the building are incredible, and because the complex is in downtown New Westminster, rapid transit stations are easily accessible. "It will always be a rental building so people can feel secure knowing that they can live there as long as they want, unlike renting a condominium. But Novare is definitely market rental in an upscale setting." Barry Hyde, project manager architectural technologist with GBL Architects Inc. says Novare was designed to be similar to a market housing tower. "The suite sizes reflect what you would typically see in a market condominium development. Within the 282 units, there are 63 studio units ranging from 400 to 500 square feet, 157 one-bedroom units that are between 450 and 650 square feet, the 54 two-bedroom units range from 650 to 880 square feet, and the 12, two-level, three-bedroom townhouse units range from 1,250 to 1,350 square feet. These units have separate street entrances. The building also has space for five commercial/retail stores." Hyde notes the tower has a contemporary style with window wall and metal panels. "The tower was designed with a narrow profile so as to not block the water views from buildings behind. The perimeter townhouses facing Carnarvon and Victoria, and the commercial units facing Sixth Street are finished with a traditional red brick facade that references historic buildings of New Westminster." He says Novare also offers a number of amenities. "On level two, which faces the east courtyard, there is a 1,000-square-foot fitness room with an additional 650-square-foot patio for relaxing after a workout." Two more patios are available to tenants, including one on the fourth floor and a large, 2,000-square-foot area on level six. "Each will have planters, community garden boxes and a children's play area," says Hyde. Colour options for the suites are a light or dark scheme with accents of grey or white. "The lighter scheme has weathered oak laminate floors and cabinets with gloss white or washed oak tones," he says. Cristina Oberti, principal at Cristina Oberti Interior Design Inc., says a word to describe the Novare building choices is timeless. "We kept the schemes clean and minimal. Simplicity is key. We wanted to stick to a few materials and not have them compete. Durability was also an important factor for selecting the materials." She says the flooring in the bathrooms and washer/dryer areas have porcelain tiles, and the living, dining, kitchen, entry and bedrooms have laminate flooring for durability. "The common areas were designed to reflect the exterior architecture colour palette." Herb Maretz, project manager with Metro-Can Construction Ltd., says it's an appealing building, with windows that are almost floor to ceiling and balconies off each suite. "The views from the upper levels are great with mountain and river vistas, and from the decks at levels four and six, people can see all the activity on the streets below," he says. "All apartments have in-suite washer and dryers, and dishwashers. Another benefit for residents is the three levels of parking, with 259 bike storage spaces on four levels." He adds there are also 59 lockers for tenants who do not have in-suite storage. Within the mix of old and new for Novare is the stable core of the structure. "This is a reinforced concrete structure with a rigid core that resists the lateral forces of earthquakes and wind," says Kevin Wurmlinger, project engineer with Bryson Markulin Zickmantel Structural Engineers. "The design has a mix of flat plate transfer slabs as well as slab and slab band design over the parkade levels. It also includes a typical floor plate from the podium level to the 21st floor transfer slab." With the two living styles, tower and podium, two separate make-up air units were required for mechanical systems, says Helen Liu, project engineer with Ron Wong & Associates Inc. "Both MUAs are high-efficiency units. Another highlight is the gas fire make-up units and domestic hot water heaters, which are both high efficiency. The electric heat building simplifies building operation and maintenance." Part of the new energy codes for construction requires builders to design to ASHRAE standards, says Marc Gager, principal, Gager Electrical Consultants Ltd. "The building has a number of occupancy sensors incorporated into most areas for safety and energy savings," he explains. "The parking area has lights that turn off for cost savings, but immediately light up when motion is detected. In the corridors, the recessed lighting is sensor controlled, but each suite has its own accent light above the door that is on 24/7. That adds to the feeling of safety for residents." He adds the stairwells also have occupancy sensors, but for the most part, the lights are on all the time and are connected to the emergency generator. A LOCATION 527 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER South Street Development Group ARCHITECT GBL Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Metro-Can Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Bryson Markulin Zickmantel Structural Engineers (BMZ) MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Ron Wong & Associates Inc. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Gager Electrical Consultants Ltd. INTERIOR DESIGN Cristina Oberti Interior Design Inc. TOTAL SIZE 210,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed 3:41 PM 8:05 AM

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