BACKYARD BACKDROP
Mosaic's Moody Yards a creative collaboration to foster community
When it comes to describing the esthetic of suburban residences in Greater Vancouver, the term world-class architecture likely wouldn't immediately spring to mind. That's about to change thanks to Mosaic Homes' Moody Yards development situated on Port Moody's Murray Street right across from Rocky Point waterfront park. Mosaic has partnered with world-renowned Michael Green Architects (MGA) to create a project inspired by a unique location and a commitment to fostering community.
“We have known Michael Green for a long time,” explains Geoff Duyker, Mosaic Homes' senior vice-president of marketing. “Frankly, he's probably more famous abroad than he is locally. Ten years ago, they said, `Hey, we're going to focus on buildings made of wood.' They have developed a global reputation where they have been commissioned to do projects in major cities around the world. Google has commissioned them to do their timber buildings on their corporate campus in California. Michael, in the world of architecture, is a star.”
Moody Yards, the result of that collaboration, comprises 160 two-bedroom and two-bathroom residences in three low-rise, mixed-use buildings (one of which is designated for rentals and retained by Mosaic) that surround a large communal backyard.
Chris Knight, MGA'S project architect, describes every unit as having generous private and communal outdoor space: balconies are either deep or run the full width of the suite; the communal backyard, positioned above grade over the parkade roof, offers more than an acre of amenity space for gardening, a children's play zone, outdoor fitness, barbecues, and al fresco dining.
“Fostering a sense of community is a fundamental concern for all projects at MGA,” Knight says.
“The communal activities in the outdoor amenity will be (a) space of neighbourly interaction, and the whole space itself is overlooked by the private balcony spaces of the three buildings, which form a backdrop to the public space. It will be a safe communal space for children to play and explore, a space to meet neighbours and invite friends and family for outdoor gatherings, or simply a quiet place to catch some sun, read, work out.”
The backyard, Duyker states, is an incredible amenity and feature of the project. “As homeowners move here and create a community, that's really going to be the heart of it.”
Another amenity that expands residents' living space is a dedicated co-work area situated at ground level near the retail/commercial units on Murray Street — a plan in the works long before COVID restrictions made working from home commonplace. The layout includes meeting spaces, a conference room and a lunch counter.
“The co-workspace was part of the original vision for the project and arose in response to the character of Murray Street itself. The site will be the key transition from purely residential neighbourhoods to the east and the vibrant industrial and food/beverage establishments on the south side of Murray Street to the west,” Knight says.
He adds, “Locating the amenity space at the street frontage, rather than buried within the residential buildings (as is so often the case) ensures that the space will always feel safe and activated even with only one resident working there.”
For the interiors of the residences, Mosaic collaborated with Vancouver-based CHIL Interior Design. Duyker says the resulting esthetic “has a kind of industrial, utilitarian reference but is very, very sophisticated, and appropriate for today.”
He believes that it's the most striking design they've done to date and points to the new spacious kitchen design they 've incorporated. He calls it a wall kitchen, but it's L-shaped. Positioned on the shorter side of the L is a giant floorto-ceiling pantry. The cabinets are clean-lined with a slim shaker profile available in one of two colour schemes: a rich navy hue or a lighter oyster grey complemented by a dramatic, dark backsplash, matte black hardware and faucet. Adding to the functionality is an appliance garage tucked away into the corner of the “L” on the counter, and a utility rail that also adds visual interest. The kitchen, Duyker explains, is designed around having a harvest table in place of an island. “We suggest that is the best way to furnish, but we leave it to our customer to decide what they want to put there,” he says.
The units, which range from 720 to 870 square feet, boast nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows, allowing for an abundance of natural light, a foundational design principle that Mosaic integrates into its projects.
As appealing as Duyker believes the residences will be for future homeowners, especially those starting young families, it is the stellar location that is the standout feature of Moody Yards.
“Fundamentally, it's an incredible setting,” he says.
“It's across from Rocky Point Park, which is on the water. You have Brewers Row just down the way. Our project is going to have incredible retail shops and services experience on the ground floor that is going to see Murray Street evolve into this High Street. Then you've got transit effectively delivering you to your back door with the Evergreen Line and the West Coast Express.”
He puts it simply: “It's an A-plus community.”