Comprising an entire city block, Strathcona Village is a blend of industrial, residential and non-market space, bringing 350 homes, including 70 affordable housing units and 60,000 square feet of light industrial space to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside District.
The site-wide podium at Strathcona Village is made up of three separate tower massings of varying heights that stretch the building’s height to up to 15-storeys. To control project costs, the goal was to have only one load transfer level for all uses. In addition, the column grid and structural design had to marry together four different elements in what is technically one building. The end result is an efficient and affordable solution.
The project has been dubbed as a one-of-a-kind development in the city due to it’s unique mix of residential and industrial space and was voted most Innovative Building Design and Best in Show at the annual Urban Development Institute Awards. The Innovation award focused on projects featuring extraordinary and innovative social, economic and environmental components that go above and beyond the sustainability imposed by legislation, while Best in Show honoured the most outstanding project from all the category winners.