DIALOG vol.1 | Page 19

Photos by: (left: Brett Hitchins; right: Pixilink THE MARK MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL Client: Onni Group of Companies Services: Design Architect Cost: $175 M Size: 20,439 sq m (220,000 sq ft) Completion: 2010 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia The 43-storey residential building is an amalgamation of 12 lots in the Yaletown area of Downtown Vancouver and serves as a gateway to the downtown core. The adjacent bridge off-ramp strongly influences the lower level building articulation and finish materials. There was a strong desire to design a sustainable project that relies on the unique urban context to inform the development of the building. The materials used echo the language of the adjacent Granville Street Bridge architecture, insofar as to use graffiti ‘art’ on concrete walls to demarcate entry to the two-level base units. Included is a 37-space childcare facility. A stepped reflecting pool extends along the daycare area to physically and acoustically buffer the public and private spaces, and is intended to enhance the livability of the daycare and increase natural light levels during the winter months. Water elements, low concrete walls and natural vegetation are carried around the Pacific Street elevation to provide a similar relationship between the public, semiprivate and private areas. IBI Group Inc. provided construction documentation services.