News

NEW PROJECT: Bloom Townhouses

SHAPE Architecture has recently submitted a Building Permit for a development of 27 residential units sited at the South West corner of West 23rd Avenue at Yukon Street. The site massing consists of four buildings of two and three storey structures around a generous central courtyard, with access to units at street level and at Level 2.

The architectural design looks to use a simple palette of brick and glazing, stretching the brick course in specific locations to provide more privacy but maintain natural light into these spaces. On the top floor, large glazed lightwells are sunken into the floorplate—providing more light into the living spaces and a small informal external space in addition to the substantial open roof terraces. The ground-oriented units allow for an enhanced streetscape with planter lined individual entries that delineate the public-private realm.

Click here to learn more about the project and stay tuned as it develops!

AWARD: South Haven Cemetery Awarded Prairie Wood Design Awards 2021

SHAPE Architecture’s South Haven Cemetery was recently awarded with the Prairie Wood Design Awards 2021.

The Prairie Wood Design Awards celebrates leaders in sustainable design across the prairies and projects that showcase our proud heritage of wood construction and create legacies within our communities. Rory Koska, Program Director of Alberta Wood WORKS!, has stated, “This year’s award winners showcase ingenuity and creativity in new construction and an affinity for wood by not demolishing buildings but celebrating wood in the restoration of history through engineering and craftsmanship.”

To read the full article, click here. To learn more about the project, click here.

PROJECT UPDATE: UBC Recreation Centre North

Last fall it was announced that SHAPE Architecture would be the Architects for the first new Recreation Centre at UBC in over two decades. Since then, we’ve been working behind the scenes with the numerous passionate stakeholder groups to understand their needs and develop a design. In early March, we presented to the UBC Advisory Urban Design Panel and had a thoughtful and engaging discussion that concluded with unanimous support for the project to move forward. We’re excited to share the design for what will be a leading-edge destination on campus for health and wellness. Learn more about the project here.

PROJECT UPDATE: Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Centre

Construction is ongoing and nearing completion at the Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Centre. We are eager to see the finishing touches transform the project in the coming months.

Here are some early views that begin to hint at the final project: the Atrium recently had its acoustic baffle and audio-visual equipment installed on the ceiling, and brick veneer + concrete overlay flooring are to follow. At the roof terrace, cladding still remains to be completed, and landscaping + pavers will round out the finishes to bring it all together. Cladding is also well underway on the main entrance to the building, and we are eager to see the tube screen installed to complete the massing.

In the Yoga + Healing Touch & Fitness space, we can see lovely south light bouncing off the chamfered window jambs and are excited for the millwork finishes to be installed to add a touch of warmth to the change room walls. When the sun isn’t shining in the atrium stair skylight, the lighting strips will illuminate the main feature stairs.

Stay tuned as the project continues to transform and come to completion!

PROJECT UPDATE: Revive Townhouses

One of our largest townhouse projects on the boards at the moment, Revive Townhouses is progressing well. Spanning four city blocks, this scheme required a thoughtful and considered approach to massing to create a coherent and varied streetscape. The project subverts the traditional plot orientations typically found along the Cambie corridor by strategically locating density along the lane side and inverting the private spaces in between to create a central landscaped courtyard space for residents to enjoy.

These interstitial spaces allow for greater porosity throughout the site and are enlivened by bioswales which follow the natural topography of the site. A mixture of unit typologies will cater for a variety of residents, creating a dynamic environment and community. Click here for more info.

PROJECT UPDATE: Cardero Street

SHAPE Architecture have been developing a unique heritage revitalization and urban densification project in Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood. This project aspires to retain two Class B heritage houses on an extremely constrained site by realigning them with their neighbouring house to the north thereby liberating a space in the rear yard for an adjoining contemporary infill house.

The scheme seeks to deliver 5 new family orientated dwellings as well as a commercial retail unit on the corner of Jepson-Young lane. Our approach has been guided by best practice conservation strategies which seek to protect, retain and replace-in-kind the original fabric of the existing buildings. Additionally, the design is enhanced by juxtaposing the historic Edwardian-era features with a smaller, modern intervention that takes ques from the original form of these houses and boasts clean lines with a neutral complimentary material palette.

AWARD: South Haven Cemetery Awarded Architecture MasterPrize 2020

SHAPE Architecture’s South Haven Cemetery was recently awarded an Architecture MasterPrize 2020 as Best of Best in Cultural Architecture category.

The Architecture MasterPrize™ (AMP) honors designs in the disciplines of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture with the goal of advancing the appreciation of architecture worldwide. Each submitted design was evaluated by the esteemed AMP Jury, and the best projects were selected across 42 categories. Click here to find out more information.

PROJECT UPDATE: Construction Starts

NEW PROJECT: Mateah

Last fall, SHAPE Architecture took part in two public open houses for an up-and-coming project located on the border between Royal Oak and Carey in Saanich. The rezoning proposes a 21,400 sq. m. new development consisting of 251 rental units and affordable housing. Amenities such as childcare, café, and office units will be integrated in a large external public space characterized by a strong landscaped route created through the site as well as an elevated open air public realm. Stay tuned as the project develops its sustainable approaches—both in terms of social inclusion and interaction, as well as energy and performance.

Artists in Collaboration

For a long time, architects and artists have maintained an ambivalent relationship – collaborative work between the two is often seen as a process of transformation for both parties within their respective fields. However architects and artists share a lot of similarities, both share the ability of transferring what’s on their minds into existence. They both deal with the same lines, shapes and forms. They also both deal with the same elements of nature; color, light, space and time.

SHAPE Architecture have been privileged to collaborate with variety of artists from various backgrounds over the years. The iterative process of each artist’s work is always of interest to us and often mimics that of our own. The images featured here represent a small snapshot into this process and output. At Newton Recreation Centre, Sean Alward has ceramically etched a repeating fern pattern onto the curtain glazing to respond to the adjacent grove of trees whilst creating a dappled lighting condition internally. While Brendan McGillicuddy’s ‘Veil’ artwork on the glazing at South Haven Cemetery poignantly helps to create a reflective atmosphere and space for people to mourn.

The inclusion of such works in our projects can be seen as being mutually beneficial; the architecture hosts or frames the artwork just as much as the artwork enhances the experience of the architecture.