North Vancouver condos designed to provide occupants with a sense of peace and privacy
Mary Frances Hill
The Vancouver Sun
Park West at Lions Gate
Where: Capilano Road and Marine Drive, North Vancouver
What: 258 one-, two- and three-bedroom condominium homes in two concrete towers of 19 storeys and 23 storeys
Residence sizes and prices: Ranging from 513 to 2,467 square feet; from the high $500s to over $6 million
Developer and builder: Keltic (Capilano) Development Ltd.
Sales centre: 1633 Capilano Road
Hours: By appointment only – 604-770-1336
At the Park West at Lions Gate new-home community in North Vancouver, the plans were designed to welcome residents with layouts that provide a sense of peace and privacy.
A well-designed home can be a sanctuary—a haven from the demands of work, commuting and public life.
Rafii Architects creates this sense of refuge at the Park West at Lions Gate community in North Vancouver, with plans designed to welcome residents with layouts that provide a sense of peace and privacy.
Simple configurations allowed the architects to offer entries that conceal the inside from view. Bedroom doors can be found through corridors inside, away from the view of anyone in the living space.
“When entering many condominiums being built today, you open the door and the whole living space and kitchen is immediately in your view. That doesn’t offer much privacy from the hall, nor does the condominium feel as ‘house-like’ as it could,” says Lisa McDonald, sales director at Pacesetter Marketing, sales organizer for Park West at Lions Gate.
The spacious dedicated entry area also “really encourages a real sense of arrival,” she adds.
In the larger homes, which can measure up to 2,467 square feet, the bedroom areas are placed away from the view of the living spaces, a layout that offers privacy and appeals to families and homeowners who like to entertain, McDonald says.
Park West’s two concrete towers containing 258 homes and overlooking a pedestrian mall will be part of the town centre of Lions Gate Village and the first stage of a 10-year community plan. The surroundings will eventually be the site of condos and townhomes for some 2,500 people.
Insight Design Group Inc. worked on Park West’s interior specifications, while Cristina Oberti Interior Design Inc. designed the common areas, amenities and lobby of the buildings. McDonald also says the features and materials throughout the suites are made for long-term wear and tear, another appeal to family life.
“The finishes at Park West have been chosen to strike a balance between luxury and practicality, longevity and beauty,” she says.
Large-format porcelain tiles in the bathroom mimic the look of marble, although they’re easier to maintain than natural stone. “From plumbing to floors, we have been careful to choose finishes that will wear well.”
The adjustable kitchen island has movable cabinets that allow for leg room, another feature that sets these interiors apart from so many in the market, she says.
That’s a feature McDonald is particularly impressed with: the cabinets in the base of the island can adjust to allow for seating all around the island or be locked in position when homeowners need to grab their stored items.
“It is also great if you want to prep food sitting down or if someone in a wheelchair is using the island.”
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