Response to Urban Design Panel Comments The project was brought forward to the International Urban Design Panel on Wednesday April 20th 2011. While the panel felt that the density and height was approvable, they brought forward a number of points that would improve the project. Concern was raised and improvements requested regarding: Improving the street experiences at grade with wider sidewalks most notably at Hornby Street and along Drake street next to the Toyota building. Bringing program to grade along Drake Street at Toyota building. Better differentiation between towers. Calming of tower elements (without losing elements that give facades unique character and solar protection. Improving clarity of solar protection elements on facades. The applicant team took these suggestions seriously and reworked the project to take them into consideration. The new scheme has significantly wider setbacks on all streets and lane; a Toyota Dealership that meets grade on all streets and lane; highly differentiated set of towers; with a calmer more rational balcony set at the corner of Hornby and Drake Street. The following pages will illustrate the project s response to each key aspect outlined in the Panel s consensus. BURRARD HORNBY HORNBY 2
Item #1 Design Development for a more imaginative and innovative architectural expression to the Toyota dealership jewel box, including Sustainable features Still envisioned as a Glass Box displaying the product sold within. The Toyota Dealership has been revised on a number of fronts. Including the following: The Plan has been pushed back from Drake street to open a triangular plaza that grows to 20 width at the lane. The entrance has been moved to the corner of Drake and Burrard and a sloped display space has been added to the Drake Street elevation. This allows all sides of the development to have at grade uses. The Parkade entrance has been moved further North West up the lane and the Service Department has been pushed to P1, bringing more frontage to the lane elevation. The Car Elevator has been moved to the interior and the Toyota logo column which is mandated by the manufacturer has been re-envisioned as a translucent frit glass box with transparent apertures that highlight key cars within. Significant green roof Operable windows and large central opening leading to roof top appurtenance with operable vents allow for natural ventilation. Energy highway uses excess heat load to reduce demands on other areas of the project. 3
Item #2 Consider designing the expression of the landmark tower to have its own identity from the other two towers on the site. As was suggested in the UDP Meeting, the block has been envisioned as a grouping of 6 individual towers composed of two existing buildings, one future tower and the three towers proposed. Each tower should be exciting and unique in its own way responding to its individual site conditions. Tower A: At 550 this tower is the tallest of the three buildings and will have the most impact on the skyline. It forms a hard edge corner to Drake and Hornby Streets and thus has been re-shaped to come down as a box at the corner, with a new three storey lobby entry. The Variegated grid seen axially when viewed from the Burrard Bridge, an element that was viewed favorably by some members of the panel has been retained, and enhanced by bringing this element all the way to grade at the corner of Drake and the Lane. This move also creates a significant triangular public space in this location, an area that actually receives the most sunlight along the perimeter of the site. The Penthouse has been sculpted to reduce shadowing on Davie and Burrard while the lane side of the podium has been angled away from lane to bring some sun to the public space during the lunch hour. To calm the building s expression, the zipper balcony was made orthogonal with the street grid and this design element was contained within a U-shaped metal panel form that hovers over the amenity level, differentiating the Residential areas from the commercial zone. The other facades of the tower were calmed by removing random components and replacing them with a pattern of solar protective elements. The podium was calmed by restricting the forward sloping facade to only Hornby street; and by reducing the breezeways to just one larger 3 storey space, and adding retail at grade along Hornby street HORNBY & 4
Item #2 Tower B The smallest of the three towers. This office building component was simplified in its massing by replacing the covered driveway that ran under the tower with an open space between the Alta Dena and the new building. While the old scheme was split into three parts the new scheme is split into only two with a 1/3-2/3 expression. The side closest to the Alta Dena has been given a stone skin with punched windows; while the remainder is a curtain wall construction with Vertical solar baffles running on from North West to due West; and Horizontal solar shades on the due south running to South East elevations. The tower has further been simplified by removing the inward sloping glass on the higher floors and instead having a continuous outward slope to all glazed elements in this location. BURRARD STREET BURRARD & 5
Item #2 Tower C To further differentiate Tower C from Tower A. It was given a much more orthogonal expression, referencing its mid block position along hornby street. Coming down to grade the lobby also features a three storey glazed space; while a two storey grocery store has been added to the side closest to Davie Street. Along Hornby the building rises parallel to the street. In plan the west corner still angles towards the Burrard Bridge alignment at its western corner. Instead of the Variegated grid seen on tower A, Tower C is characterized by four floating boxes of residential units acting like a telescope looking past tower A towards English Bay beyond. BURRARD STREET HORNBY STREET HORNBY STREET 6
Item #3 Consider making the corner of Burrard and Drake Street more public by incorporating either a public plaza or a stronger connection leading around the dealership into the lane The entry to the Toyota Dealership has been moved to the corner of Burrard and Drake. The Facade of the Dealership has been racked back to provide a public open space and wider sidewalks along Drake street. This also brings a stronger connection leading to the lane entrances of the Toyota dealership and the Scion Boutique store. LANE STREET 7