LARGE LIVING
Condo units of River Park Place in Richmond offer conveniences of single- family homes
Basketball court, rehearsal hall and huge rooftop garden among the amenities at River Park Place
River Park Place, Intracorp’s new mixed- use development in Richmond’s burgeoning Oval Village, is all about living large. Located at River and Gilbert roads, the project will eventually comprise more than 500 apartments and townhomes in three towers with separate strata.
But what’s really big here are the amenities. The project’s “Whole Home Concept” offers River Park Place residents the conveniences of single- family homes — although perhaps not average single- family homes. Exercise facilities will include, not only a yoga mezzanine and fully equipped fitness centre, but a full- sized, double- height basketball court complete with a kid- sized hoop.
Students can take advantage of a desk- filled study room and a soundproof rehearsal hall with a baby grand piano, music stands and karaoke. The banquet hall and great hall with adjacent media room will simplify entertaining, plus there will be a workshop, a dog wash with warm water and a car wash with power vacuum and power hoses. The 25,000- square- foot rooftop garden will include a fire pit, garden plots, children’s playground and a covered tai chi area.
The two show suites — one with two bedrooms measuring 729 square feet, and one with one bedroom and a den in 612 square feet — display additional thoughtful details. Every kitchen has a gas range with a wok burner — the four penthouses have separate wok kitchens — and a 600cfm Faber hood fan. The wok burner is “the No. 1 request from our homeowners,” says Barrett Sprowson, Intracorp’s director of sales. Although it’s not visible, Intracorp takes pains to match the capacity of the hood fan with the ducting for maximum efficiency. Also concealed is the hood itself when pushed back flush with the upper cabinets.
Appliances are integrated into the cabinetry. A cabinet over the fridge has a separate door, seemingly insignificant but “some of the integrated fridges, the cabinet face carries all the way to the top and you have to open your fridge to get into the space,” Sprowson says. “It’s an extra little bit of cost, but it’s a cost that we think is worth the convenience.”
Kitchen storage is generous, including an optional “magic corner” pullout Lazy Susan. Another clever option is a dining table extending from ( and matching) the island; there is also room for counter stools. Most homes have a niche in the living area that can be customized for a desk, pantry, cocktail bar or shelving.
The bathrooms, with ample storage in the vanity and medicine cabinet, are smart in every way. Undermount lighting below the vanity is connected to a motion sensor, so it turns on when someone enters the room and shuts off when the bathroom is empty.
The homes’ heating and cooling system is also linked to a motion sensor: if there’s no movement in the unit for several hours, the heating or cooling is reduced a few degrees to save energy. Relatively new to North America, the European Jaga Briza four- pipe hydronic system allows each suite to control its own temperature as there is cold water and hot water in the circuit at all times. A fan moves air across the pipes.
“A big issue in condos is controlling condensation and with the movement of air,” Sprowson says. “This will keep the air flow in the room so that you don’t have stagnant air sitting ( there).”
The exterior of the building is striking, with a 13- storey tower attached to a four- storey podium topped with the rooftop garden. The tower, a stack of two- bedroom homes, rotates and slants outward as it rises so each floor is slightly larger than the one below it.
“Part of us being in the location is that the city wants this to be a real gateway into Richmond,” Sprowson explains. “The Oval Village neighbourhood is evolving into a slightly quieter, more peaceful, off- the beaten track kind of neighbourhood as opposed to No. 3 Road, which is kind of in the centre of it all. By the time this is complete, you’ll have a real high street feel along here.” There will be shops and commercial establishments at ground level along River Road and a double line of trees along the street. Across the road is the Olympic oval, and there are plans for a park and a T& T Supermarket.
Plus, adds Sprowson: “ASPAC and River Green have done such a great job establishing the level of quality and the high- end feel to this area that, by sheer virtue of being neighbours, we’re associated with that.”
The River Park Place grand opening is April 6. Those who pre- register online will be eligible for a chance to win a Range Rover Evoque.