600 Robson Street
As I had spent the previous week at home with the flu, I was looking forward to attending this open house as I liked the design, and was eager to get some fresh air. Though I went alone, as Darren had other plans to attend a super sized Urban Design Panel meeting that same day.
When I arrived, it still felt like a solitary experience; There were only a few people in attendance, and there was not even a model of the building in the this small room of the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. Apparently the model maker had been unable to finish it in time for the event.
That did not matter to the those who came in angry, but soon mellowed when they realized this building is only slightly taller than the office portion of the Capital Residences building. The design team has taken several steps to mitigate the impact to the affected residences, the chief among them being the excellent garden terrace on level 6, and the placement of the elevator core towards the central area of the property.
This has greatly effected the streetscape, allowing for a quality entryway to the building’s lobby and a large greenwall along the Capital Residences building. It has also reduced the size of the retail spaces along Robson Street compared to those that exist today. Darren and I often hear a desire for more local scale stores, and the applicant team believes that, with the high lease rates on Robson Street, these smaller retail spaces will be more affordable for businesses.
Considering the zoning allows for up to 300 feet here, the building itself is also on the small side, at only 215 feet tall. Unfortunately, this appears to be the result of bad planning, as even with a heritage density transfer, the same zoning policy limits the project to 5.5 FSR. As a result, only a very skinny tower could possibly reach this maximum allowable height, which is something most companies seemingly are not interested in.
That said, even if the FSR was increased, the building would still be capped at this height due to a city policy that prohibits buildings casting shadows on the intersection of Robson and Granville (pg 11). However, this has led to the interesting sloped roofline, so it is not a total loss, at least architecturally.
As the evening drew to a close, Darren finally arrived wearing a medical mask over his face. I did not realize when I asked him to join me that he was already in the firm grasp of the flu I had just recovered from. Even so, that did not stop him from croaking out a couple questions to members of the applicant team about the building.
We were both happy to learn that the patio would be open to the public, even though it is only accessed from the path leading to the lobby. It seems very promising, as not only will it be home to a piece of public art, but it will also be sheltered by the building above. So, even though this space feels like it could use a set of stairs from Seymour Street, it will still easily draw in crowds, given how rare covered public spaces are in our city.
In contrast, only about 10 people attended the event, and I do not think many wrote feedback. Of course, even though he was sick, Darren and I both left our opinions, which shows how easy it is to make your thoughts known. So do not be afraid to take a quick minute to comment by contacting the project facilitator, Jennifer Catarino, by email at jennifer.catarino@vancouver.ca or by phone at (604)-871-6023.
City Duo 