News

NEW PROJECT: Cardero Street

SHAPE has recently submitted a Development Permit for a unique residential and commercial site along Vancouver’s historic Cardero Street. At its core this is an urban densification project, our approach has been guided by our belief that a sensitive intervention into the fabric of the West End will enhance the vitality, livability and richness of the urban realm. We are proposing to retain and refurbish two heritage houses and create a bespoke adjoining infill in the rear yard of an extremely constrained site to create 5 new family dwelling units and reinstate a Commercial Retail Unit on the corner of Cardero and Jepson-Young lane where a local grocery store stood for over 100 years.

NEW PROJECT: Lakeview Church + Housing

Over the past year, SHAPE Architecture has participated in the redevelopment of Lakeview Church + Housing at the corner of Semlin Drive and East 12th Avenue. The new 8,250 sq. m. building will be one of our office’s first designs built to Passive House standards. The project will include a new church with multipurpose gathering spaces on the ground level, as well as 104 residential units above—of which approximately 30% will be permanently secured as affordable housing. This project is a partnership between the church and BC Housing and is currently in the process of completing rezoning. To learn more about the project, click here.

SHAPE PinUp 2019

2019 was a big year at SHAPE, with many new projects, many new faces, and a whole host of other positive changes at the office. And as the year closes out, it’s time to step back and review what we’ve accomplished this year. Much of our work throughout the year lives in the computer; isolated and ironically inaccessible. So it was time to take it out of the box. As we all did in school, we reverted to the traditional ‘Pin-Up’ format. The collection of posters of each project’s best work transformed our office space into a gallery to review/discuss/debate the projects/ideas/representations. With all the changes this year, it was refreshing to see the whole picture, and a fitting way to turn the page as we reach higher in 2020.

PROJECT UPDATE: Big Beam at Maple Grove Elementary

In November, a massive beam was installed at the north entrance of the new Maple Grove Elementary. Let’s talk numbers: the beam is over 18 meters long, 1 meter tall, weighs over 15,000 lbs and was installed by a 100 ton crane. For ease of transportation, it was brought to site in 3 sections, then bolted together. The beam spans over the north entrance along the 45th Avenue bikeway, creating a large covered area that openly welcomes the community into the school.

Prof. Dr. Peter Höfflin Lectures at SHAPE

Prof. Dr. Peter Höfflin visited our office from Germany last week to share his thoughts on the urban planning principles from Freiburg’s newest neighbourhood. And since SHAPE has close to 800 housing units across various projects in the studio right now, we’re pulling in the experts.

One focus of his research is on urban design that considers children’s needs. It’s not enough to define discrete areas of play in the city, i.e. playgrounds; the city itself should offer opportunities for informal play for kids of all ages (and adults too!).

As SHAPE Architecture continues deeper into the design process of various typologies and scales of housing, we will confront these questions and more, and will likely recall a tidbit of advice from Peter we heard during his visit.

Montgomery Sisam Architects and SHAPE Architecture in collaboration

Montgomery Sisam Architects (MSA) and SHAPE Architecture began their collaboration in 2014 with several feasibility reports for the Vancouver School Board, and also included the design of Maple Grove Elementary School. Collaboration over a distance can be challenging, especially ones that span clear across Canada. Through the use of the latest cloud-based collaboration software, the two firms worked on a single Building Information Model (BIM) in real time from their respective offices in Vancouver and Toronto.

AWARD: Columbia Valley Community Facility wins AIBC Lieutenant Governor’s Medal

On Thursday April 19 2018 at an annual ceremony held at the Architectural Institute of British Columbia, SHAPE Architecture was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor of BC Medal for the Columbia Valley Community Facility. Alec Smith, Principal, and Loretta Kong, Associate, led the project from early concept design through to construction and occupancy. Click here to learn more about the project.

NEW PROJECT: Jubilee Road Residence

Framing and form-making is progressing on a new SHAPE Architecture house located minutes from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

PROJECT OPENING: South Arm Community Centre

The South Arm Community Centre is a 31,000 square foot, two storey athletic facility with a gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, and fitness centre. The project was funded by a partnership of the Government of Canada’s Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), South Arm Community Association and the City of Richmond, each contributing $500,000. The Centre held a Grand Opening event on December 9 2017. Photos by Matej Rodela.

PROJECT OPENING: Vancouver Academy of Music Renovation

SHAPE Architecture is collaborating on a renovation of Vancouver Academy of Music’s Koerner Recital Hall and Lobby. The project is currently under construction and has been made possible by generous donors and the dedicated staff at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Design by Annaliesse Kelly, Architectural Consulting by SHAPE Architecture, Construction by Klondike Contracting.