6311 Cambie Street was the very first development to be approved and built under a new densification policy in the City of Vancouver, responding to four main priorities that were outlined by Council: • Improved levels of sustainable design • Enhanced housing diversity and inclusive communities • Addressing homelessness and affordable housing • Contribution to creative capital and a growing economy With no new policy context to relate to, the building form had to maintain a stand-alone presence while creating the opportunity for multiple interfaces with future adjacent developments along the block. To help facilitate this, the building form was deliberately broken down into offset tiers that shift from one side of the site to the other. This shift helps to group the diverse range of unit types within the individual layers of the building while allowing clear passage for a pedestrian right of way that passes under the cantilevered north end of the building.
The three horizontally tiered sections are collectively linked by a unifying frame element that binds the staggered building components together: • The first tier consists of over-height commercial spaces and lofted apartments above which is a second floor of units. • The second tier consists of a bank of three typical floors of single level units which project out 15’ over the pedestrian ROW and glazed entry lobby to the main building. • The third tier consists solely of a penthouse level setback 5’ from the street and lane. • The laneway houses provide valuable additional density and alternative accommodation without suffocating the dedicated open space on the site. The contemporary design of the building sets a new precedent for emerging architecture within the local neighbourhood. The folding horizontal expression of the frame helps to visually minimise the overall height, while providing a strong architectural identity to the building, respectfully bridging between the scale of the existing and proposed contextual development along Cambie Street.
