Bosa Properties and Kingswood Properties have reworked their upcoming Barclay Street project in Vancouver’s West End to significantly increase the number of rental units.
The project at 1040-1080 Barclay Street has been in the works for several years, and a rezoning application was previously filed, with a design by Buro Ole Scheeren. That proposal would have seen two towers (49 and 48 storeys), with 481 market condominiums, 162 social housing units and a retail unit on Thurlow Street.
The new design by Perkins & Will Architects will add 636 rental units, all located in the east tower. Sizes will range from studios to three bedrooms, and 20 per cent of the units will be below-market rental.
The west tower will consist of 365 strata condominiums and 99 social housing units.
Renderings: Barclay by Bosa and Kingswood
The height of both towers has been increased to accommodate the additional units. The east tower is now proposed for 59 storeys; the west tower is proposed for 56 storeys.
There will also be a 37-space childcare facility with an outdoor play area as part of the development.
Bosa and Kingswood point to a combination of market conditions, city decisions to encourage more rental housing, and “considered decision to lead change” as determining factors leading to an increase of rental housing on the site.
“There has been a dramatic shift in both the marketplace and consumer demand towards rental and outdoor community spaces, particularly over the past two years, and we wanted to be responsive and lead change,” says Nathaniel Funk, director of development for Bosa Properties.
The developers are touting the project as a high-performance and low-energy addition to the downtown skyline, in support of the city’s green rezoning policy.
Both towers will have amenity spaces accessible to residents of that tower, and a permeable outdoor plaza with boutique retail units, including a restaurant and café, will run through the site.
Previous story: March 8, 2018
Two residential towers designed by German architect Büro Ole Scheeren are proposed for Barclay and Thurlow in downtown Vancouver.
Developer Bosa Properties is partnering with Kingswood Properties to develop the project, made up of a 49-storey tower, and a 48-storey tower.
The site is currently occupied by four low-rise apartment buildings with a total of 173 units, and is adjacent to the Patina tower.
481 market condo units are proposed for the development, as well as 162 social housing units. There will be 626 parking stalls over eight levels of underground parking.
Unit sizes range from studios, all the way up to three bedrooms. A commercial retail unit will be located along Thurlow Street.
Amenities include a fitness centre, yoga room and landscaped terraces.
1040-1080 Barclay by Büro Ole Scheeren
Market unit sizes in the towers are roughly as follows:
- studios 359 sq ft.
- one bedroom 611 sq ft.
- two bedroom 854 sq ft.
- three bedroom 1262 sq ft.
A minimum of 50 per cent of the social housing units will be two bedrooms or larger and suitable for families, and 20 per cent will be three bedrooms or larger.
The architectural design of the project is said to reflect the surrounding blocks and scale, by assembling those smaller elements into two sculptural towers.
The local architecture firm on the project is Francl Architecture.
This is Büro Ole Scheeren’s second design for a downtown Vancouver development; the first being the “Jenga tower” at 1500 West Georgia Street, also for Bosa Properties.
