Lakeview United Church + Housing is a 104-unit mixed-use affordable rental housing and ground floor church development at the corner of Semlin Drive and East 12th Avenue in Vancouver. A partnership between the United Church of Canada and BC Housing, the six-storey timber-framed project is just under 90,000 ft² (7,500 of whichmis for church use at the ground level) and will meet Passive House energy and air-tightness requirements, City of Vancouver affordable rental housing policy requirements and BC Housing design guidelines. While construction detailing is kept sensible and building envelope efficient, a series of prefabricated balconies and window shades bring the building frontage alive. A single level of underground parking is accessed off the north of the site. Landscaping and street frontage is sensitive to the ground level community use by the United Church, building residents and the greater community.
Given the increased number of rental units becoming available in Vancouver, we have found potential renters increasingly selective on finishes even of affordable rental housing. On the Lakeview project, Candace Reid worked with the development group and the construction management team to develop a pallet of cost-effective, finishes which appeal to a higher end aesthetic. In addition to full Architectural Services, SHAPE Architecture also provided fully coordinated Interior Design Services for multiple Residential Unit Layouts as well as the street-level Congregational spaces of the building.
Project Features:
• Six-storey wood frame construction with concrete parking structure and ground floor
• Multi-family residential project with ground level community amenity congregational space
• Passive House project with high performance building envelope and systems
