800 Commercial Drive Affordable Housing
Challenging the typical tower form by designing for social connection first.
Vancouver, BC
Client NMHDO
Scope Feasibility, Rezoning
Status Rezoning Submitted
Zahra Asghari, Pete Atkinson, Jamie Banks, Kathy Chang, Adryn Galambos, Aiden Mezidor, Andrew Lockhart, Jane Schnaffhauser
The Drive is about people and people watching; it’s about neighbours, street life, and self expression. It holds a spot in our hearts for its local-ness and its bit of quirkiness that residents are proud of. In order to support this life and creativity within the building, we needed to break apart the traditional point tower form, and are proposing a building that puts community connection at its heart.
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Our approach is to move the individual balconies (typically located on the north side of this building) and place them along the main circulation corridor.
By opening the main corridor to the outside, the balconies can form front porches to the units and enjoy the south facing exposure while allowing the residents to socialize with their neighbours.
