CHARLES STREET DEVELOPMENT
STAY CONNECTED - STAY INFORMED
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ABOUT THE PROJECT
In December 2017, Cape Group purchased the parcel 2336-2366 Charles Street in East Vancouver. Cape Group had been looking for projects in Vancouver that could allow us to build a rental building for families and individuals. Our aim is to build 1, 2, and 3 bedroom homes.
The site currently is 4 parcels of land with a single-family home on each lot. Our vision, based on the Grandview- Woodland Community Plan, is to create a 6-storey building containing a mix of rental units that will complement the vibrant community. There will also be retail stores intended to provide the neighborhood with services like a small grocery store or café.
In 2019, Cape submitted a rezoning application to the City, incorporating feedback from the City and the local community. The application is intended to rezone the site from RT-5 (one-two family residential and C-1 (Commercial) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development).
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Some highlights of our plan:
- Building design is in accordance with the guidelines of the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
- An internal courtyard inspired by the strong community in Grandview Woodlands, where neighbours know each other
- Small scale store fronts facing Nanaimo
- Approx 62 rental units on levels 2 through 6
- Underground parking accessed via the laneway off Nanaimo
Recommended C-2 Guideline
Double loaded corridor mid-rise buildings are a traditional form of housing found throughout the City of Vancouver. The proliferation of this status quo from of housing has resulted in a reduced quality of living for many Vancouverites. This type of building discourages interaction between residents and often results in large groups of people living with little to no sense of community.
Minimum Courtyard Requirements
The mid-rise courtyard typology is an increasingly popular form of housing which has the potential to increase social interaction between residents while generating a sense of community. Contending with multiple constraints, many residential courtyards in Vancouver are too thin to allow for meaningful occupation of the space, often becoming outdoor corridors with blinds drawn on facing windows.
Proposed Courtyard
Building on Vancouver’s courtyard tradition, the 2336 – 2366 Charles St. project inverts the typical courtyard form, increasing the amount of usable floor space for residents while maintaining similar access to daylight. The wider ground plane allows for covered private outdoor space (in some cases double height) while maintaining comfortable distances and more favourable relationship to circulation paths.
Responding to the Grandview- Woodland Community Plan, the ground floor facing Nanaimo is made up of commercial uses. The retail builds the street character of Nanaimo Street consistent with the intent of that plan.
In accordance with the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, the project positions its highest part of the building adjacent to Nanaimo Street, a significant arterial.
Facing west towards the currently RT-5 zoned residential properties, the height of the building has been reduced to 5 stories. The western portion of the building has north and south setbacks, further reducing the scale of the building for those western neighbours while also increasing access to sunlight.
To maximize access to daylight for residents and reduce shadows, the building has been oriented north south. This orientation allows for the highest level of light penetration into the courtyard onto Charles Street and the neighbouring building to the north.
In successful communities, front doors are important social gathering places. As a means of generating community within the building, front doors are located in only 4 areas. Grouping front doors together in fewer locations, allows residents the opportunity for informal social interaction while also activating the spaces these front doors open onto.
Responding to the architectural character of Grandview-Woodlands, the Nanaimo street building volume has been designed with sloped roofs. This will provide a friendlier appearance while responding to the roofs of nearby houses.