The City has received an application to rezone 1059-1075 Nelson Street from Residential (RM-5B) District to Comprehensive Development (CD-1) in order to permit the development of a 60-storey Passive House residential building. The proposal includes:
- a building height of 555.5 ft. (585.5 ft. to the top of appurtenance)
- a net floor area of 40,096.43 sq. m (431,594.39 sq. ft.)
- a floor space ratio (FSR) of 24.94
- a total of 485 residential units that include:
- 113 social housing units
- 49 market rental units
- 323 market condo units
- 8 levels of underground parking with 299 vehicle parking spaces and 1000 Class A bicycle parking spaces and 26 Class B bicycle spaces
The resulting architectural concept is two sinuous waved bands with greenery in between — “a simple parti echoing the forest between two coastal edges.” This is realized by an H-shaped floor plate and a distinctive curved form. All of this is layered on by the proponents’ plan to create a Passive House green building design, making it the tallest certified Passive House building in the world. “The stand-out word is ‘passive,’ and this client’s desire to create a prototype 60-storey Passive House tower that will be the first of its kind in the world is truly admirable,” reads the architect’s design rationale.
“The Passive House brief will make the tower the most efficient structure of its type ever built and will quickly become a blueprint for future towers in cities around the world. The idea of a super-tall passive house tower is especially fitting in a city with such high environmental aspirations, as it will create great interest throughout the world and will become an environmental landmark for Vancouver.
”Both the application by the proponents and a report by city staff note that the tower’s architectural design paired with its environmental design standard fulfill the requirements of the city’s Higher Buildings Policy, which requires taller towers to establish “a significant and recognizable new benchmark for architectural creativity and excellence, while making a significant contribution to the beauty and visual power of Vancouver’s skyline.
” The tower will have a total floor area of 432,000 sq ft, giving it a floor space ratio density of 24.94 times the size of the lot. To support the density, eight underground levels will contain 299 vehicle parking stalls and over 1,000 bike parking spaces. In addition to the CACs, the developer will also be required to provide $9.4 million in development cost levies and $658,000 of public art. The Tower's unit mix will be of 43 studios, 130 one-bedroom, 130 two-bedroom, and 20 three-bedroom units.
| Address: | 1083 NELSON ST |
| Area: | Vancouver West |
| Sub-Area | West End VW |
| Units: | 500 |
| Floors: | 60 |
| Year Built: | 2028 |
| Developer: | Brivia |