In Vancouver’s River District, GBL Architects completed the Sawmill Housing Development in November 2025, delivering 337 permanently affordable homes to one of the city’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods. The project pairs a 26-storey tower landmark along Marine Way with a six-storey zigzagging mid-rise on Sawmill Crescent. Between them, a shared courtyard and rooftop gardens.
Located on a former industrial site, the design draws from the area's sawmill legacy, using maroon corrugated metal cladding and light-grey high density cement panels to reflect that history. As principal architect Daniel Eisenberg has put it, the ambition was for a building that feels “durable, dignified and demonstrably livable for decades.”
Community housing
The 337 homes are split between 117 co-op homes through Community Land Trust and 220 non-profit rental units operated by M’akola Housing Society—BC’s largest Indigenous affordable housing provider. The project was financed through a public and non-profit partnership: the Province contributed around $36.8 million along with annual operating funding of about $1.8 million, while the City of Vancouver leased the site and provided approximately $10 million in development cost charge waivers. These figures make the project one of the most significant one-time municipal land investments in community housing in the history of Canada.
Sustainability strategy
The project adopts a comprehensive sustainability strategy across operational energy, embodied carbon and water efficiency. Its design meets Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code and achieves the performance limits of Vancouver's Near Zero Emissions Green Buildings policy for rezonings. The massing strategy preserves solar access and openness while forming a permeable block designed for walkability and broader connection to the surrounding neighbourhood. Shared indoor amenities, rooftop terraces and the central courtyard fit with play equipment are designed to further encourage a sense of community here.
Energy conservation
Performance is driven by energy-conservation measures: a low window-to-wall ratio below 45%, continuous exterior insulation, high-performance glazing incorporating both aluminum window-wall systems with perforated fenestration systems, and the replacement of studio balconies with Juliet balconies to reduce thermal bridging. Heat-recovery ventilation and hybrid heat-pump systems further reduce the building's nergy demand. The design has addressed water efficiency through low-flow plumbing fixtures. These alone achieve a 35.6% reduction in domestic hot-water usage relative to code.
