A new development is being planned in the neighbourhood, which has the Renfrew Elementary School on the northeast corner of the junction. When the project is completed, East 22nd Avenue and Rupert Street would have been transformed into a multi-family district. The change started a few years ago, when a number of shops on the southwest side of the junction, which included a European bakery and an Asian fish store, were replaced by a low-rise condo building ..read more

The construction of townhouses and buildings under six storeys is the focus of a staff report recommending updates to the city's building bylaw in order to lower energy use and greenhouse gas consumption.   "The updates are envelope focused, meaning walls, windows, doors and roofs as opposed to fuel focused," said Chris Higgins, green building planner with the city of Vancouver.  The report recommends that the current width of outside walls be increased by an inch-and-a-half so more insulation can be added to the structure.  The proposal is part of the city's plan to eliminate g ..read more

Vancouver, the self-styled “world’s greenest city” has built Canada’s largest passive house. It’s all part of an effort to combat a severe and pioneer a new pathway to zero emission buildings. That’s great because buildings account for 25 per cent of all carbon emissions worldwide. Vancouver even has a Greenest City Action Plan and is working on a Zero Emissions Housing Plan. Vancouver is a coastal city and Sean Pander, Vancouver’s green buildings manager acknowledges this reality. “We’ve got sea level rise, and we recognize that we’re one of those cities that’s going to live with th ..read more

The City of Vancouver and the Pembina Institute are eager to see passive house projects like this take hold. The Heights is being developed by Eighth Avenue Development Group and built by Peak Construction. Doug Wilson, president of Peak, said he got involved with the project when he was approached by Eighth Avenue president Ed Kolic. The discussion of passive house started with Cornerstone Architecture principal Scott Kennedy early in the process. Since Kennedy is also an engineer, he and Wilson were able to have detailed discussions about the logistics of building to passive house standards ..read more

A second cohousing development is in the works. City hall has received an application to rezone three lots on Quebec Street in the Riley Park neighbourhood for a six-storey residential building. The development will have 25 strata-titled homes to be owned by members of a group called Little Mountain Cohousing. City staff and members of Little Mountain Cohousing will hold an open house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. next Wednesday (September 21) at 4588 Clancy Loranger Way. For more info check complete Georgia Straight article.   ..read more

When you picture a hallway or corridor in an apartment building, what do you see? Hallways, entrances, and exits are primarily designed with fire safety in mind. As a result, most multi-unit building corridors are long and monotonous, and do not encourage social connection.  Quayside Village Cohousing in North Vancouver shows a different, more social possibility: the exterior walkway (pictured above) is filled with lush hanging vines, gardening areas, and places to sit and chat with neighbours. The open corridor wraps around the building’s exterior courtyard, while windows to private unit ..read more

Feeling connected to our communities, neighbours, and friends is fundamental to human wellbeing. When we design buildings, sometimes we forget this. Cohousing and cooperative housing precedents Tomo, which stands for “together + more”, is inspired by many other co-housing and cooperative (co-op) housing projects that came before.  Cohousing is a housing model where residents own their individual units, but have access to enhanced shared amenities. Cohousing residents participate in and share the planning, design, management, and maintenance of the community, and engage in ongoing co ..read more

With growing push toward electric heating, gas industry touts carbon-neutral gas ..read more

A new five-storey laneway apartment building in Vancouver’s Commercial Drive neighbourhood offers a glimpse into the future of density in the city, while also raising questions about who exactly density is for in Vancouver. The development, designed by Cornerstone Architecture, is around a month from completion and soon to go on the rental market. Its uniqueness lies in its height and location at the backend of a larger property, much like a laneway house, which architect Scott Kennedy quipped about on Twitter. This is our 5 storey version of a laneway house on a 33’ corner lot. 8 suites. He ..read more

Climate change is a bigger problem today than it ever has been. And while most people think about doing their part for the environment by recycling more and remembering to take their reusable bag to the grocery store, there’s another way to lower your carbon footprint — and that’s living in a home that is scientifically built to use less energy. So it makes sense that one of the hottest housing trends of the moment is owning a “Passive House.” The European building standard includes triple-glazed windows, airtight closures, and super-smart ventilation systems to prevent energy escaping. Think ..read more