Green sensibility includes low-toxicity textiles and Energy Star windows
Kate Webb
Province
The suites at Pacific Spirit will be compact, energy-efficient and classy — high-tech without being cold or too trendy.
The refreshing contrast between the wood panelling and the white high-gloss lacquer of the kitchen cabinets helps combine modernism and warmth in the suites at Pacific Spirit. Photograph by : Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province
The living room in a Pacific Spirit display suite reflects the developer’s decision to to build compact and efficient to maximize affordability.
Master bedrooms and ensuite washrooms will serve as a fitting reward at the end of a long day.
If you love the forest, forget Stanley Park: Pacific Spirit is Vancouver‘s best-kept wooded secret.
Completely surrounding the University of British Columbia on Vancouver‘s western coastline, the regional treasure is a favourite among dog owners, hikers and bikers alike.
So naturally, when prolific developer Adera decided to build a new condo complex next door to the leafy paradise in the up-and-coming Wesbrook neighbourhood at UBC, its masterminds named it after the park.
The low-rise, 165-unit development, of which one building is named Pacific and the other Spirit, is all about embracing the peace and tranquility of its trailside address.
“UBC has always been one of the most sought-after places to live, and the reason is because once you pass over Alma Street, you go through the university endowment lands and it’s like a barrier,” says Eric Andreasen, vice-president of marketing for Adera.
“I call it an ethos. Everyone wants to come out here because this is the capital of smartness.”
There was a time — actually, it’s not over yet — when UBC was seen as a city within a city lacking the conveniences of urban living.
But that’s all changing now with the rapid construction of the new Wesbrook neighbourhood, which will straddle Wesbrook Mall south of West 16th Avenue.
By the time Pacific Spirit is finished and ready for move-ins in February 2010, a new Save On Foods will be open at the centre of the village, along with a bustling business district.
Most buyers at Pacific Spirit will be settled in just in time to enjoy some Olympic hockey at the new Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre on campus, and to catch the latest academic buzz as the world arrives at Vancouver‘s doorstep.
“This is where the urban aspect of UBC is going to come to life,” says Andreasen of the Wesbrook neighbourhood.
“It’s going to be vibrant, it’s going to be unique, and it’s going to be the centre of the new university community.”
With housing prices skyrocketing at UBC in anticipation of the new amenities, Pacific Spirit’s developers decided to build compact and efficient homes to maximize affordability and squeeze the most out of the materials.
The 850-square-foot display suite is high-tech without being cold or overly trendy.
“We’re trying to give the suites some warmth but also some modernism,” says Andreasen, pointing out the refreshing contrast between the wood panelling and the white high-gloss lacquer of the kitchen cabinets.
The standard package comes with granite slab counters, GE Profile appliances, striking imported porcelain tile floors and a fridge smartly located off to the side, allowing room for two cooks in the kitchen.
The environment was a key concern for Adera, says Andreasen. Most of the everyday consumptive features are automated, from motion-sensitive kitchen faucets to the bathroom lights.
In fact, the whole project was built to a gold made-at-UBC sustainability certification standard called the Residential Environmental Assessment Program, created by the university’s Sustainability Office to bring a green sensibility into all of its developments.
REAP covers everything from water- and energy-efficient appliances to Energy Star windows and low-toxicity textiles, and Adera has even thrown in a membership to Vancouver’s locally-owned Co-operative Auto Network car share to sweeten the deal.
With all that good karma helping you sleep easy, the master bedroom and ensuite washroom will certainly serve as a fitting reward at the end of a long day.
Distinctive crown moulding reflects the building’s west coast architecture, and the angled entrance to the large walk-in closet is a stylish design feature.
All the suites come with some kind of outdoor living space, big enough for a barbecue and pre-outfitted with a gas hook-up. First-floor walk-up units have a patio or deck, while upper floors get a balcony or rooftop patio.
Pacific Spirit’s grand opening was yesterday, and for a limited time buyers will get a custom kitchen appliances upgrade package that includes GE’s top-of-the-line Monogram series.
Over 40 per cent of units in the first-phase release have been sold, so better beat a path through the forest if you’re interested..
THE FACTS
What: Pacific Spirit, a 165-unit condo development in two four-storey low-rises.
Where: 5928 Birney Ave., Vancouver.
Developer: Adera
Sizes: One-bedroom-plus-den or two-bedroom-plus-den, from 661 to 1,054 sq. ft.
Prices: $449,900 to $829,900
Open: Presentation centre and display suite open at 5779 Birney Ave. every day from 12 to 5 p.m.
More Info: www.Adera.com
© The Vancouver Province 2008
