A balance of esthetics and function
With its open-concept plan and amenity spaces, Joyce gives families room to work and relax
At Joyce, Westbank’s condo community planned for the Joyce-Collingwood neighbourhood, architects and designers respond to the call for homes that give families the room they need to function well and adapt to the ways that everyone in the household lives, works and plays.
Open, adaptable space was essential to the calculation and artistry behind the work of designer Michael Leckie’s interior design team, which crafted the interiors, Henriquez Partners Architects, the architectural team, and Westbank Projects Corp., the developer that built amenities to act as a functional part of life for every homeowner. “The orientation toward families is a key point of distinction for this project,” says Leckie, principal of Leckie Studio Architecture and Design. He refers to the suite sizes — more than half of the suites contain either two or three bedrooms — and the uncommon amenity spaces that expand space and opportunities for homeowners.
Renderings show a space that offers an open-concept plan, with the kitchen prep area tucked neatly away on one wall. It’s purposefully family friendly, with an emphasis on giving homeowners with kids the room to relax, work and socialize.
“We endeavoured to strike a balance between esthetic and functional considerations. Streamlining the seamless integration of the appliances into the galley kitchens and maximizing the opportunities for storage allows the kitchen casework to feel more like furniture, which contributes to the open feeling of the floor plans.”
Imagining themselves as homeowners, the Leckie designers suggest furnishings that serve multiple purposes, to keep the room free of clutter. The furnishings shown in the renderings are defined by clean modern lines. “We tend to prefer functional minimalism,” Leckie continues, “focusing on a few key pieces of furniture and artwork that work across a variety of functional scenarios: for example, a dining table that can also potentially function as an extension of the kitchen counter work surface.”
Henriquez Partners Architects included a library space, study rooms, a music room, a workout room and a play space in plans, set against the views of the North Shore mountains and Burrard Inlet. These amenities add to the functional space for every homeowner, Leckie says. These amenity spaces are among his team’s favourite features of the building, as they reflect the playful, community-centred tone of the work of designers, architects and the developer alike. “It is designed to enhance the sense of community for families residing in the building. We hope that people will use it as a functional extension of their living space to support work, play, gathering and social interaction.”