poto:type 2007

Sponsors: poto:type

Dru McKeown Jonathan Kurtz Kevin Stitak Kyle May

poto:type Competition Winner

AIA Cleveland unbuilt work - Merit Award 2007

Vancouver based international competition which explored the building typology that has evolved in Vancouver BC of a residential tower placed upon a commercial/retail plinthe.

The supposition that the typical solution was inherently a failure in generating connections between the multiple faces of the city block as well as creating a separate identity for the residential unit was the generator of a plan to actively engage the public ground plane, allowing access above and through the commercial plinthe while isolating the residential tower in such a way as to make the barrier expressively public.

A centralized garden foyer makes the entry level of the tower highly transparent to the surrounding street as large cutting swipes are made into the wood shingle facade exposing interior units and creating a mingling of a cultural building material with modern steel and glass.

Over time the building will age, adding yet another layer of complexity and flavour as standard maintenance and the ravages of time create natural patterns of replacement and wear on the shingled skin.