STREET SMARTS
Homes in North Vancouver’s the trails will be high on curb appeal
The first phase of The Trails, the Wall Group of Companies’ redevelopment of an eight-acre site in the City of North Vancouver’s emerging Moodyville neighbourhood, brings contemporary Craftsmanstyle architecture to the area, along with interiors inspired by the location’s natural surroundings.
Moodyville, one of North Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, is undergoing a transformation following the rezoning of the area east of St. Patricks Avenue to Queensbury Avenue and south of East 4th Street. Once the redevelopment is complete, it will comprise approximately 1,500 homes, with about 300 of these in The Trails.
The rezoning of the area allows for increased density and buildings up to four storeys, says IBI Group’s Martin Bruckner, lead architect for The Trails development on the corner of East 2nd Street and St. Patricks Avenue.
The first phase of The Trails comprises 62 three-storey townhomes and two-storey stacked townhomes on a 68,000-squarefoot site.
“The contemporary Craftsmanstyle have durable material on the exterior — including brick and composite panels — to create an interesting and varied architectural appearance,” Bruckner says.
One of the architectural features set to define phase one of the development is the distinctive box windows on the units facing East 2nd Street.
“We wanted to create architectural accents and articulate the façade to make it visually interesting and differentiate one set of townhomes from another, providing homeowners with a sense of identity for their unit,” Bruckner says.
In another nod to putting their own stamp on their homes, homebuyers can choose the colour of their front door, with options including white, black, green, teal, blue or red.
Homebuyers also have choices to make on the interior colour schemes.
“There are two palettes, North Shore Beach with grey and white tones, and North Shore Natural with its warm woods,” says Ada Bonini, principal at BYU Design, the firm responsible for phase one’s interior design.
“We were inspired by the environment in North Vancouver and these are very natural, calm palettes,” she says. “We didn’t want anything overly modern and wanted an esthetic that feels like a single-family home.”
Sample boards showing the colours and materials in each palette are on view at the sales centre at 603 East 2nd Street.
The kitchen is Bonini’s favourite room in the townhomes, which range in size from 1,266 to 2,183 square feet.
She says her own fondness of cooking is reflected in the kitchens.
“I love to cook, and the kitchens are designed for someone who uses a kitchen. There is extra storage space and pantries and the touchless faucet and farmhouse sink is really great.”
The Shaker-style cabinets and island in the North Shore Beach option are a soft-grey that complements the white quartz countertop and grey and white tones of the herringbone-patterned mosaic marble backsplash. The 30-inch refrigerator and freezer will be behind integrated panels while the black stainless-steel gas range with canopy hood fan and dishwasher — along with the black matte hardware — will contrast against the lighter finishes.
In the North Shore Natural option, the cabinetry is a wood-laminate finish and the creamy colours of the marble mosaic backsplash and nickel hardware support a softer colour scheme, Bonini says.
The sample boards at the sales centre also present the choices for the bathrooms.
“We wanted a fabulous master ensuite; there’s a free-standing tub and a large shower with a tiled shower pan,” she says. The ‘floating ’ vanity will allow the floor to extend under the cabinetry, giving the room a spacious ambience.”
The 12-by-24-inch porcelain wall and floor tiles in both colour schemes will also contribute to the ensuites’ airy feel, while three wall sconces mounted to illuminate the two mirrors above the double sinks will make the spaces feel special, Bonini adds.
Wide-plank laminate floors will connect the living spaces and the longer-than-usual 80-inch boards visually extend the space, she says.
The development, scheduled to be completed in 2019, will be built to LEED gold standards, says Bruckner. This requires high R-value insulation and, although large, the windows are less than 50 per cent of the exterior wall area to reduce heat loss. There is a stormwater system to control rainwater run-off from the site and the development is also connected the Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC).
The LEC uses a network of underground pipes to circulate hot water to heat the buildings that are connected to its system, according the City of North Vancouver.
LEC currently provides heat to 75 buildings, including more than 4,500 residential units.
Phase 1’s planned amenities include landscaped areas with seating where neighbours can socialize or host get-togethers.
The Trails will also feature a greenway that will connect East 2nd Street to the section of the North Shore Spirit Trail that runs along the southern boundary of the site.
All homes include parking (some have private garages) and there is also visitor parking in the underground parkade.
“This is going to be a great neighbourhood for families; it will be pedestrian and bicycle friendly and there will be a vibrant community living here when it is completed,” Bruckner says.