Elegance IN ENGLISH BAY
Marcon’s Mirabel at English Bay takes prime position in the West End
With livability as a priority for its new residential projects, Marcon Developments focused on this theme for Mirabel at English Bay, side-by-side 18- and 19-storey buildings in Vancouver’s West End, one of the city’s most central and character-filled neighbourhoods.
Nic Paolella, director of development for Marcon, says the two concrete highrises on Davie Street are designed to fit right into the existing ambience of the area, where the local residents enjoy the proximity to the beaches of English Bay, the unique elements of the local parks like the A-Maze-Ing Laughter public art installation in Morton Park, and the convenience of the commercial area with its shops and restaurants.
The name of the development — Mirabel — is a nod to the heritage of the area.
“Walking around we noticed many buildings from the 1950s and ’70s with personified names. They seemed to convey an approachable and friendly character that is reflective of the neighbourhood. The name Mirabel rang true in the context of this community,” says Paolella.
Located in a prime position in the West End, at the crest of the hill to English Bay, Richard Henriquez of Henriquez Partners Architects paid special attention to the siting of the building to deal with the slope while maximizing the dramatic sightlines to the west and south.
Henriquez also found inspiration for the buildings in the typical architectural elements of the West End.
“We interpreted the character of the area through a modern lens to create buildings that are both contemporary and respectful of the West End’s architectural heritage,” he adds.
Like many other buildings in the area, Mirabel will be set back from the street front, creating space for gardens, shrubs and trees to screen recessed residential entries.
The distinctive 24-by-eight-foot staggered balconies deliver several advantages beyond the visual interest they add to the facade. The staggering effect will provide better privacy for residents, separating outdoor living space for each home, and they also play a role in shading the structure to keep the building envelope cooler.
A low threshold and sliding doors provide easy access to the balconies to seamlessly connect the indoor and outdoor spaces.
The two buildings comprise 149 units; 36 studio/one-bedroom/ one-bedroom and den, 105 twobedroom and eight three-bedroom plus 68 social housing units that will be owned by the City of Vancouver.
Buyers can choose from two colour palettes, Beach and City, says Alda Pereira, principal of Alda Pereira Design. The suite at the sales centre showcases the Beach option with white-oak engineered hardwood floors and white cabinetry. The City scheme is based on taupe colours that Pereira describes as a light, warm grey.
With the exception of the bathrooms, the oak flooring is used throughout, contributing to a sense of spaciousness in the units, says Pereira.
Walking around we noticed many buildings from the 1950s and ’70s with personified names.
Project location: 1345 Davie Street, Vancouver
Project size: Neighbouring 18- and 19-storey buildings (149 homes) with studio/onebedrooms (405 to 915 square feet), two-bedrooms (756 to 1,336 square feet), and three bedrooms (2,132 to 2,659 square feet)
Price: One-bedroom homes from $615,900, two-bedroom homes from $910,900, three- bedroom homes from $5.25 million Developer:
Marcon Developments Architect: Henriquez Partners Architects Interior designer: Alda Pereira Design
Construction: concrete Warranty: 2-5-10 Sales centre: 1283 Davie Street, Vancouver Hours: open by appointment Phone: 604-681-8110 Website: mirabelbymarcon.ca