Concept for Mixed-Use

This concept for a six-storey industrial and office building was developed for a prominent corner site at East 5th & Manitoba in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. Designed for a local client, the project responds to a dense urban context while maximizing allowable height and floor area through a carefully articulated massing strategy. The building is organized with two levels of light industrial use from grade, including a mezzanine, with office space allocated for levels 3-6. Upper floors are stepped back to create a generous fifth-floor outdoor patio with northwest views toward the North Shore Mountains.

The architectural concept is defined by interlocking volumes and contrasting materiality, which respond to site constraints while creating a distinctive street presence. A warped roof plane folds up from the east property line and wraps across the building, unifying the composition. At grade, the building steps back and angles toward the northeast corner, drawing visitors to a clearly articulated entry.

The structure transitions from concrete at the lower levels to mass timber at the top floor, where exposed CLT soffits, beams, and columns introduce warmth and support efficient, sustainable construction. A contemporary material palette of extensive glazing, brick, white, wood-tone and grey phenolic panels creates a bold, refined expression appropriate to the industrial character of the neighbourhood.