The mandate from project inception on m6 was to do something unique but contextual; to capture value not purely in the economic sense but to enhance and augment the community spirit of the Mount Pleasant area. Our team worked intimately and collaboratively with the owner, as well as City of Vancouver Planning staff early in the process to define project goals and form of development parameters, the most apparent of which was responding to the side-yard facing residential units of the Ellsworth development to the south. Leveraging this constraint into opportunity yielded a typical residential floor plate more reminiscent of a tower than a mid-rise building, increasing the typical floorplate size and efficiency.

The resulting low-rise box form was then broken into smaller components of massing by articulating and extending the outside corners and stepping back the top floor, creating a building scale appropriate to the neighbouring buildings.

The response at grade also utilized the atypical side-yard condition as an opportunity to create a mid-block pedestrian alley at grade, fronted by commercial retail units along one side while connecting Main Street to the lane. This spatial insertion will amplify the importance of the lanes in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, creating mid-block porosity while producing a unique and intimate public amenity.

The resulting project provides 76 residential units including three townhomes at grade along E. 6th Avenue, as well as an expansive indoor and outdoor amenity area at the roof level with programming for dining, lounging, co-working, and a children’s play area.