Projects by Vancouver development group Westbank Projects Corp., developer of the currently under-construction Vancouver House, walked away with two of the prizes at the City of Vancouver’s inaugural Urban Design Awards presented September 15.
Westbank’s residential project 6th & Fir – A Bridgehead Interface, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, was the winner of the Large Residential Buildings category.
60 West Cordova
And its affordable housing project 60 West Cordova (pictured left), also designed by Henriquez Partners, took home the prize in the category of Reinforcing Community through Collaboration and Social Innovation. The development and design team partnered with Vancity Credit Union to provide 96 affordable market homes in downtown Vancouver. The project is driven by inclusivity, giving preferential access to ownership to people who live, work or volunteer in the Downtown Eastside.
Another double winner was Intelligent City’s development Monad (pictured left), designed by Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture. The mixed-used commercial and residential project won in both the Medium Residential Building and the Architectural Design Excellence and Innovative Systems Integration categories. The judges said the building deserved commendation for its sustainability, masterfully-handled spatial design, and an ambitious venture into prefabrication.
Monad
Winner of Small Residential Building went to a new-build single-family home Cloister House by Measured Architecture Inc. (pictured below), which salvaged and reused more than 90 per cent of the materials from the original building on the site.
Cloister House
The final residential winner was Shape Architecture’s Union Street ECOheritage development of seven densely arranged modern townhouses, built to LEED Platinum standards. The project won for both Outstanding Sustainable Design and Architectural Design Excellence and Innovative Community Densification.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Small Residential Buildings
Project: Cloister House; Firm: Measured Architecture Inc.
Medium Residential Buildings
Project: Monad; Firm: Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture; Developer: Intelligent City
Large Residential Buildings
Project: 6th & Fir – A Bridgehead Interface; Firm: Henriquez Partners Architects; Developer: Westbank Projects Corp.; Landscape Architect: Durante Kreuk Ltd.
Commercial Buildings
Project: Cactus Club English Bay; Firm: Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
Government and Institutional Buildings
Project: York House Senior School; Firm: Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
Urban Elements
Element: Aldo store canopy, 1025 Robson; Firm: Francl Architecture
Innovation
Project: Paris Block: Paris Annex; Firm: Gair Williamson Architects
Outstanding Sustainable Design
Project: Union Street ECOheritage; Firm: Shape Architecture Inc.
Landscape, Public Space and Infrastructure
Project: Jericho Park Restoration; Firm: Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture
Special Jury Awards
Architectural Design Excellence and Innovative Systems Integration
Project: Monad; Firm: Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture; Developer: Intelligent City
Architectural Design Excellence and Innovative Community Densification
Project: Union Street ECOheritage; Firm: Shape Architecture Inc.
Reinforcing Community through Collaboration and Social Innovation
Project: 60 West Cordova; Firm: Henriquez Partners Architects; Developer: Westbank Projects and Vancity; Team: PHS Community Services, Habitat for Humanity
