Share to
Cardero
By : Henriquez Partners Architects
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 15th edition
Discipline : Architecture : Grand Winner
Categories : Residential Building / Apartment & Condo ≥ 10 storeys : Gold Certification, Platinum Winner
Cardero is a modern obelisk marking the entrance to downtown Vancouver while acknowledging its unique setting at the intersection of two city grids.
Located just two blocks from Vancouver’s spectacular Coal Harbour waterfront, Cardero replaces an aging office building, commanding a key focal point on the prominent thoroughfare of West Georgia, at the gateway to downtown with a striking mixed-use development befitting its prime location and the contemporary needs of the community.
The building’s formal expression is activated by the neighbourhood’s context, which informs the facade and landscape design. The architectural sunshades on the residential tower’s south and west facades are an iconic feature, giving both practicality and a unique identity to the building. The origami-like screens were inspired by the nautical surroundings – seagulls and seaplanes in the adjacent harbour and hang-gliders that take flight from nearby Grouse Mountain. The solid plate steel sunshades are galvanized and shop painted white to provide a high-quality finish and a clean seamless expression. Characterized by deeply angled V-shapes, the sculptural forms provide shading and privacy, while reducing solar heat gain; a form of public art that imparts passive sustainability.
The surrounding context also informed Cardero’s striking geometry. The design responds to the project’s unique location at a pivot point where the old city grid from Gastown intersects with the modern, orthogonal downtown grid. One geometry faces east, relating to the Gastown grid, then rotates and fractures to take form in another geometry addressing the downtown grid, facing Stanley Park to the west. At West Georgia Street, the building comprises a slender 26-storey tower, recalling the scale of the adjacent hi-rises. Then, along West Pender Street, the scale drops to 21 storeys, receding into the background to complement the neighbouring residential towers. This dual identity gives the building its unique form and reduces the overall perceived mass.
Sitting atop a four-storey podium with at-grade retail and 45,000 ft2 of co-working space, Cardero includes 118 market residential units, 60% of which are suitable for families, addressing the city’s crucial goal of increasing family-oriented housing. The units were designed to frame the spectacular water and mountain views of Vancouver, and to provide creative solutions to maximize usability for residents. Special attention was dedicated to the kitchen design including convenient, functional items that create a clutter-free space e.g. concealed range hoods and integrated TVs in lower counters. On-site amenities include multi-purpose spaces, a common roof deck and urban agricultural plots.
Supplementing the solar shading on the south and west elevations, several sustainability features were incorporated to achieve LEED Gold certification including stormwater management, high performance double-glazed curtain window wall, operable windows for natural ventilation, concrete with recycled content and personalized thermal control. The design also allows for connection to a future neighbourhood district energy system.
Cardero is the first recent project completed along the western edge of downtown Vancouver bringing animation to this important intersection. The building enhances the public realm along West Georgia Street to accommodate existing and anticipated increases in pedestrian volumes including wider sidewalks, and weather protection
Collaboration
Architect : Henriquez Partners Architects
