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OCTOBER 2017 | 61 Village Square – Wesbrook Village RENDERINGS COURTESY UBC PROPERTIES TRUST Village Square – Wesbrook Village by LAURIE JONES T he scenic, tree-lined roads of the properties surrounding the University of British Columbia (UBC) have held a sense of community for decades, with Wesbrook Village at the heart of the area. Since 2009, Wesbrook Properties has been designing upscale rental buildings, including Granite Terrace, Vista Point, the Mews, Greenwood Commons, and now, the final addition to the neighbourhood, Village Square. The six-storey, concrete and traditional wood-framed Village Square features retail units on the ground and second floors, with four levels of residential units above. "The floor plan selection consists of studio, one- bedroom, two-bedroom and three- bedroom units designed for mixed family occupancy," says Bob Worden, principal, Ramsay Worden Architects Ltd., noting occupancy for the rental building began in early September. "The mixed-use design has three commercial units on the ground floor that are already spoken for with Shoppers Drug Mart and a couple of restaurants to accommodate residents and completing the neighbourhood amenities. The second floor also has flexible lease space." Worden says the Wesbrook Village area is a great location with running trails, parks and a beach nearby. "Over the years it has filled out nicely with trees maturing and the shops are all occupied. It's really a lively spot." Visually, Village Square is a striking building that was done on a tight budget and a tight schedule using modest materials, Worden explains. "It has a strong geometry to it and relates well to its surroundings. It's nestled among some modern buildings and has followed the patterns of those other structures, which include a community centre, an office building and residential buildings." Adding to the look is a combination of Basalt masonry and Hardi 2.0 panels. Dark masonry is a perfect backdrop for white cladding and glazing giving Village Square strong vertical and horizontal design strengths. One of the details that takes Village Square above a standard rental building is the space dedicated to common activities. "There are two- and-a-half roof decks for use by all of the residents. The deck on the top of the building has fabulous views," says Worden. "The corridors have views out windows at the elevator lobbies. This makes a difference in light exposure, and when people are standing in front of an elevator they can look outdoors while they wait, or discuss the view with their neighbours." Tim Knight, principal at Heatherbrae Builders, says due to the tight working area in an established neighbourhood, public safety was of utmost importance. "We always take this into consideration when working in and around UBC. An extensive traffic management plan was implemented at the beginning of the project and utilized for the duration of the construction." Knight says the cold winter in Vancouver dictated they start roofing in December. "When we commit to move in dates for tenants, we don't have the option of extending the schedule," he says. "We have to do whatever it takes to maintain that schedule, which includes working in severe winter conditions. We also managed to continue working by using localized weather protection, heat and a snow removal program that enabled us to move the tenants into their new homes on the date established at the beginning of the project. There is a human element to every project we are involved in and commitment to a schedule allows individuals and families moving to plan their lives accordingly and not look for temporary accommodations." From a mechanical point of view, Kevin Shea, engineer of record at AME Consulting Group, says one of the most difficult challenges was getting rough ins for the kitchen exhaust system for the bottom two floors up through the building. "The design was to potentially allow for at least two units on the first two floors to be set up with kitchens and the rest are slated to be for offices," he explains. "For exhausting, the duct work that may be grease laden cannot have any fire separation so we had to take it to the outside of the building through the residential areas. The shafting of it and construction prior to knowing who would be occupying the space, outside a residential, was interesting because we found out there was going to be Chinese food restaurant on the first floor that would need significantly more exhaust than was originally allowed. That required redesigning to suit the tenant." Even though the Village Square building is near established parks and greenways, provision of outdoor amenity space for residents was an important feature of the landscape design. "There is a seating terrace on the south side of the third floor, another small terrace on the northwest corner and a roof deck on top of the fifth floor," says Michael Patterson, principal, P + A Landscape Architecture. "There are barbecues provided for residents use on the sixth floor amenity patio, as well as a harvest-style table that seats eight. This takes advantage of views out to the ocean to the southwest, and it is a great sunny spot. In addition to the barbecues and exterior dining, there is a fire pit with seating around it. These are options not usually found in rental units." The landscape at the ground level utilizes the materials and patterns established in the earlier phases for the parking lot and sidewalks to create a seamless addition to the Village Thomas Leung, principal, TLSE Engineering Inc. has been involved with several of the buildings in the Wesbrook neighbourhood. "Village Square was definitely a successful build. The UBC Properties Trust team was great to work with, as were the other members of this project." Bijan Valagohor, project manager, Nemetz (S/A) & Associates says, "To meet the new building codes on the inside, we had to use LED fixtures. These were used inside the suites because they are efficient and low maintenance for the future." A LOCATION 3338 Webber Lane, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER UBC Properties Trust ARCHITECT Ramsay Worden Architects Ltd. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Heatherbrae Builders STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT TLSE Engineering Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT AME Consulting Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT P + A Landscape Architecture INTERIOR DESIGN Portico Design Group TOTAL COST Undisclosed 10:56 AM

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