Koo's Corner
560 -- 598 Hawks Ave, Vancouver, BC
Key Sustainability Features
- Infill development - compact high density
- Heat recovery ventilators (HVRs) and greywater heat recovery, solar hot water system
- Building reuse and repurpose
- Pedestrian-oriented design
- Reduced outdoor water use
This six-unit strata townhouse infill development features adaptive reuse of an auto service building, Koo's Auto Service, which was built in the 1940s. Part infill, part addition, this project achieved a Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 0.95 by renovating the existing garage building to accommodate two loft-style housing units, and building an additional four units on the former parking lot.
Koo's Corner blends into the existing heritage neighbourhood through pedestrian oriented design, sympathetic massing, colour, and roof forms that reference the surrounding houses. This design approach helped to maintain liveability on a tight lot in this high density development. By maintaining the building and name of the former auto garage the project retains the visual history of the area.
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Last edited by
stewartworks over 1 year ago
Salt Building
85 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC
KEY SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
- Heritage preservation: re-use of materials
- Natural ventilation and lighting
- Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU)
- Locally and regionally-sourced building materials
- Community health and resilience through adaptive design
The Salt Building is an iconic historical landmark in the new Southeast False Creek (SEFC) neighbourhood, which is home to the Olympic Athletes’ Village. It is located on First Avenue and Manitoba Street, at the former shoreline of False Creek. Built in the 1930s when the shoreline bristled with ship builders, steel fabricators and sawmills, the Salt Building embodies the legacy of the rich industrial past of this neighbourhood. Originally, the building was used as a refinery of salt, which was shipped from San Francisco. The north end of the building retains a small dock-like structure where the salt was loaded and unloaded. As railway transportation gradually replaced shipping, the building reoriented to the south and was later converted to a paper recycling plant. It is now owned by the City of Vancouver, and in 2011 a new bakery, coffee shop and brewpub will make the historic Salt Building an important gathering place for the local community.
The rehabilitation of the Salt Building, initiated in 2007, presented a rare opportunity to integrate the concepts of adaptive reuse and heritage conservation, in the context of sustainable practices, as identified by the LEED Core and Shell (CS) system. As a result, the Salt Building is one of very few heritage projects to achieve Gold certification under LEED – CS in Canada. The rehabilitation included shell restoration and raising the building on piling extensions to align with the new street level. This also served to highlight the original exposed timber piles on which the building rests, providing a sense of layered history of the site. Its large, open interior, supported by elaborate roof trusses, creates a unique amenity for the community. The Salt Building meets LEED Gold requirements by utilizing natural ventilation and lighting, a Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU), and the reuse of materials.
READ MORE /buildings/salt_buildingLast edited by
stewartworks over 1 year ago