ON THE MOVE

Elmwood in Coquitlam maximizes space and offers `timeless' esthetic

Elmwood, Marcon's new mixeduse development in Coquitlam, will be a linchpin between the existing residential neighbourhood in Oakdale and the burgeoning Burquitlam area with its transit-oriented projects around the Skytrain station, says the company's vice-president of sales, Chris Harburn.

The site, on the northwest corner of Como Lake Avenue and Clarke Road, provided an ideal opportunity to link the two areas, he adds.

“I think what I'm most proud of with the (Elmwood) development overall is the way that we've managed to put our arms around both of those seemingly opposite neighbourhoods and link them.

“We're one of the last developments that's going to have the commercial and retail components in Oakdale, and it feels like that's a really natural progression to link that high-density Clarke and Como intersection with the current quiet residential neighbourhood and honour both,” says Harburn.

Elmwood comprises 335 homes, about 9,000 square feet of retail space and 22,000 square feet of office space on the 53,000-squarefoot site.

Harburn describes the building's design by Shift Architecture as “simple but balanced with a few complex moves.”

“The angular nature that we have in the commercial podium, the visual screen wrapping around the podium and the unique tree light columns that we have connecting the base with the commercial component of the building is a really strong connection to the civic plaza,” he says, adding it was also important to connect the vertical and horizontal planes with the landscaping and for the sixth-floor podium and 38th-floor rooftop terrace to be prominent.

The residential units will be located in the tower from the second to the 37th floor and include onetwoand three-bedroom homes, with one of the floor plans offering a three-bedroom option that also works as a two-bedroom condo with a self-contained lock-off studio suite.

Elmwood's amenities are in three areas: The sixth-floor Park Club includes a fitness centre, outdoor weight training zone and yoga studio, as well as an activity courtyard with putting greens, Ping-pong tables and a Zen garden.

“We've added some conveniences like a sauna and private storage lockers for folks as well,” says Harburn, describing the concept as a wellness balance between fitness and downtime.

The Urban Canopy on the 38th floor includes a rooftop terrace, flexible lounge and co-workspace with a private meeting room and kitchenette, plus a private dining room with a chef-inspired kitchen and direct access to a private patio.

“There's also a screening room and lots of areas for people to go up and enjoy conversation, dinner with friends, or a glass of wine,” says Harburn.

The third area is the groundfloor plaza where Marcon worked with landscape architect Hapa Collaborative.

Harburn says while some developers would have approached the location with its proximity to the Burquitlam Skytrain station with some reservations, Marcon considered it an opportunity to design a significant civic plaza of almost 17,000 square feet. At just under a full city block, the plaza will be a continuous system of gardens running in parallel with seat wall edges facing inward to create an urban garden landscape to complement the building.