Final design reflects a compromise on neighbourhood concerns, includes thoroughfare and lane setbacks
Claudia Kwan
Sun
Pinnacle Living on Broadway
Project location: Broadway between Maple and Arbutus
Project size: mid-rise building with 131 apartments, three town houses
Residence size: one-bed — 568-731 sq. ft.; two-bed– 8311,142 sq. ft.; town houses– 1250-1300 sq. ft.
Prices: one-bed from $439,900; two-bed from $619,900; town houses from $889,900 Developer: Pinnacle International
Architect: Bingham Hill Architects
Interior Design: Christina Oberti Interior Design Sales centre: 2080 West Broadway
Hours: noon -5 p.m., daily Telephone: 604-739-2080 Web: www.broadwayliving.ca
Occupancy: Spring 2012
At the moment, the Vancouver block of West Broadway between Maple and Arbutus streets is dominated by an IGA and a liquor store. There’s a sizable — for Kitsilano — parking lot in front, and a small building that houses the sales office of the Pinnacle Living on Broadway development.
But come 2012, the site will have a hugely different appearance. A glass and metal building with brick facing at its base will stretch along most of the front of the block where the parking lot is now situated. The IGA will eventually be gone, although it may be replaced by a grocery store in a retail space that will measure more than 20,000 square feet in the new building. A new liquor store also may be a possibility and a right-of-way concession has been allotted for a proposed SkyTrain station on a route to UBC.
The Pinnacle Living development is not without controversy and compromise. City staff heard opposition related to traffic concerns, to the loss of parking and retail amenities, and even to the potential loss of sunlight for other residential buildings in the neighbourhood. One petition contained more than 1,000 signatures.
Partner John Bingham of Bingham Hill Architects calls it a “push-and-pull” influence on the final design.
“We were responding to all of the various interested groups,” he says. “There are setbacks from the back lane and Broadway, and a lot of attention paid to the relationships between the site and surrounding area.”
Landscaping is intended to soften the line between public and private space, and the sunlight issue has been addressed with a “massing” effect on the sprawling building. The two ends are taller, giving the effect of small towers, while the building’s roofline drops down several storeys in the middle. There are noticeable tiers built into each level, allowing the building to recede either horizontally or vertically, depending from where you’re looking at the building.
The tiering also allows for balconies or terraces for the apartments that are remarkably generous -befitting the Kits outdoor-loving esthetic -and remarkably egalitarian. A one-bedroom apartment can have anywhere from 45 to 374 square feet of deck; in the upper ranges, that’s more than the outdoor space given to some of the two-bedroom units.
The egalitarianism extends to the inside. The penthouse level includes one-bedroom units, so purchasers at the lower end of the price scale can afford top-floor living. Just about every suite has an oversized, walkthrough closet and ensuite bathroom, including the one-bedroom apartments.
“That’s a signature of Pinnacle Living: modern sophistication with classic elegance,” says Grace Kwok, the uber-agent who is once again the general in charge of the sales and marketing campaign for developer Pinnacle International. “They spend a lot of time on the floor plans so that every inch of floor space is usable.”
You can feel that sense of space inside the show suites. The one-bedroom unit has room enough for a king-sized bed, and the luxurious feel continues through the closet and into the bathroom.
The natural stone countertops are easily an inch thick, and the wall has been covered with an eye-catching band of thin vertical tiles between large white horizontal tiles. A cosy, but fully functional, den is in an alcove off the dining room, which can accommodate a dining table for six.
The two-bedroom show suite has dual connecting entryway closets, with a corridor-style bathroom that serves both the guest bedroom and the living area. Another sizable nook can be used as a den, while an enclosed balcony is a sun-drenched spot to curl up with a book or putter with some plants.
The master bedroom feels like an upscale hotel room, with an open closet tucked into one corner of the room. A bathroom is in the other corner, fully inside the bedroom suite. A large window in the bathroom wall allows sunlight to permeate from the bedroom through to the soaker tub, although the blinds also can be drawn over the glass for privacy. Energy efficient air conditioning is standard in all units, as are noteworthy appliances. The full-sized washers and dryers are Frigidaire; the oven is Bosch, and the huge refrigerator is Fischer Paykel.
“We don’t offer upgrades because we already offer everything you would need.”
Kwok believes buying at Pinnacle on Broadway makes sense on a number of levels. With interest rates at historic lows, she says, the development represents a prime opportunity for consumers who might have thought that a home in Kits was slightly out of reach.
The site has ready access to Kits Beach, amenities, restaurants and transportation.
Kwok points out that an investment in a little extra space and a good location pays off in the long run. “When you buy a 400-or 500-or 600-square-foot space, you have to pay moving fees, taxes and real estate agent commissions each time you move up,” she calculates. “Why not jump in to the market at a livable space?”
Kwok says they are seeing purchasers who realize the value of a location between downtown and UBC, including investors, longtime renters who want to own in the area and some young families. Previews of the available units started at the beginning of February and sales are expected to formally start at the end of March.
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iminterested w/ two bedrooms
broadway site pls