Sustainable design rules at UBC’S University Town
Barbara Gunn
Sun
The two-bedroom Pacific showhome demonstrates open-concept residency, with the kitchen adjacent to the main living area. The Kohler faucets (left) are ‘hands-free.’ Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
The refrigerator, below left, is a built-in GE Monogram product ‘hidden’ behind white panelling. It is available to Pacific purchasers as an upgrade. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Ample kitchen cabinetry, below, is two-toned to enhance visual appeal. Floors are topped with imported tile; counters, with granite. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
The ensuite, below, features a large walk-in showe. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Second bathrooms, bottom, will accommodate soaker tubs. Both will have porcelain tile flooring and granite slab countertops. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
The master bedroom in the Pacific showhome is both spacious and stylish. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
The showhome den, right, is roomy enough to accommodate a desk, chair and storage. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Pacific Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Pacific Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Pacific Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
The University of B.C. may be home to leading-edge minds, but it’s also quickly becoming the site of something else –leading-edge homes.
Now taking shape on the stunning Point Grey campus is the master-planned University Town, a collection of residential neighbourhoods constructed according to state-of-the-art sustainable design.
“This province, under the mandate of our premier, is becoming one of the most sustainable places on the planet,” notes Eric Andreasen, vice-president of sales and marketing for the Adera development company, which is now introducing University Town‘s newest residential addition, a 98-unit apartment project called Pacific.
“And the university has taken that to a world-class level. We’ve got people checking it out from all over the place.”
Pacific will be located in University Town‘s 100-acre Wesbrook Place neighbourhood, named for the university’s first president, Frank Wesbrook. The project promises high-end residency for those living in the one-and two-bedroom homes, but it will also promise much in terms of environmental stewardship.
Among other things, there will be a solar heat recovery system for hot water, Energy Star windows, appliances and thermostats, motion-activated lights in the bathrooms and conservation-designed plumbing fixtures. (Kitchen “hands-free” faucets, for instance, will be designed to automatically turn on and off, thereby conserving water.)
Pacific residency will also include membership in the Co-operative Auto Network, a car-sharing program that will see one automobile provided for every 100 residences at Wesbrook Place.
Andreasen says there’s no doubt that the “green” features in Pacific — the project is one of six the award-winning developer will ultimately insert into University Town — will be a huge attraction for homebuyers.
“There’s no question about it,” he says. “Obviously, there’s a cost to it, but at the end of the day, there’s tangible benefits … There’s a financial component; they save money in terms of what their energy costs are.
“There’s a social component to it because it makes the world a better place. And there’s a personal component to it because they’re doing something for their own lifestyle and their own responsible attitudes.”
Pacific will be built according to the university-developed REAP program — the Residential Environmental Assessment Program –which the University Town website describes as a “green building strategy that strongly encourages builders to use innovative building systems, local materials, high-efficiency appliances and equipment that minimize energy, water consumption and waste production.”
But while Pacific will incorporate multiple interior green features, the location of the four-storey building — it will be across the street from the community’s “village” and less than a block from Pacific Spirit Regional Park — will further add to the model of sustainability envisioned by University Town.
Residents who work or study at the university will be able to walk or bicycle to the campus. The offerings in the village, which will include a Save-On Foods, a community centre, boutiques, cafes, and a school, among other things, will serve many of their everyday needs, further reducing dependence on the automobile.
“We’re across the street from the village and between the village and the forest, which has always been the idyllic place to live,” says Andreasen of Pacific, the first phase of Adera’s two-building Pacific Spirit project. (The eventual Spirit building will be located kitty-corner to Pacific, across Wesbrook Mall.)
But while Adera can be applauded for creating something with environmentally responsible design, it can also be commended for Pacific’s design — period. The concrete-and-steel structure will be an example of West Coast contemporary architecture and styled to mirror its beautiful natural surroundings.
“It’s really bold, it’s strong, powerful architecture,” says Andreasen. “It’s got lots of glazing, it’s got lots of natural kinds of components on the exterior. There’s a lot of wood . . . again, it brings out the warmth, the tone of the coast.”
The U-shaped building will be built around an open-air breezeway, which will contain reflection ponds that Andreasen says are designed to “recognize the Pacific.”
Interiors will have top-of-the-line finishes: granite slab counters in the kitchens, gas or electric fireplaces, porcelain tile floors in the kitchens and bathrooms, to name just a few of the touches. Multiple optional upgrades are also available and include, among other things, hardwood floors, crown moldings, air conditioning, and hot tubs for those purchasing one of the six top-level units with enormous rooftop “lanais.”
(A grand-opening package of upgrades, including Monogram appliances, a wine fridge and barbecue and valued at up to $15,000, will be included with the purchase price for a limited time.)
The homes, says Andreasen, have attracted a mix of buyers, some with a UBC connection, and some without.
“We definitely have people who are associated with the university who are interested here,” he says. “But we have international interest.
“We have people from Korea that want to get involved with the school system and people that are empty nesters from the west side of town … It’s a very diverse group of people that you’ll find wanting to live here.”
He isn’t surprised by the interest.
“There’s a physical change as you come through this world-class forest,” Andreasen says. “You’re in a world-class university. And all of a sudden, it’s a smart place to be because it’s the epicentre for academics, thought and creativity … But it’s not just academics.
“There’s this casual component. It has a great outdoor opportunity so active people love it because you’ve got bike trails, access to everything. It also has world-class entertainment and culture, like the Chan Centre for Performing Arts and the Museum of Anthropology … So we have all this culture jammed into this great world-class location – and it’s beautiful.”
PACIFIC
Project location: University of B.C.
Project size: 98 apartments, 4-storey building
Residence size: 665 – 1,028 sq. ft., 1 +den, 2 +den
Prices: $449,000 – $829,900
Sales centre: 110 – 5779 Birney Ave., UBC
Hours: Noon – 5 p.m., daily
Telephone: 604-221-8878
Web: adera.com
Developer: Adera
Architect: Rositch Hemphill and Associates
Interior design: Portico Design Group
Occupancy: Spring 2010
