Cardaro at 1575 West Georgia 119 homes in a 26 storey tower by Bosa Properties
Cardero development sets high bar for sophistication
? CLAUDIA KWAN
The Vancouver Sun
Project name: Cardero
Project location: 1575 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
Project size: 119 homes in a 26-storey concrete building
Residence size: 1 — 3 bed, 600 — 2,500 sq. ft.
Prices: Available on request
Developer: Bosa Properties
Architect: Gregory Henriquez, Henriquez Partners Architects
Interior designer: BYU (Bob’s Your Uncle) Design Ltd.
Sales centre telephone: 604-568-8888
Hours: by appointment only
Website: http://www.bosaproperties.com/cardero
Sales begin: Early September
Occupancy: Fall/Winter 2019
Call it inappropriate if you will, but it is exceedingly difficult to stop from playing around while in the show suite for Bosa Properties’ Cardero development. Indeed, it’s clear many of the people there for appointments are allowing themselves to indulge in testing out some of the hidden features of the suite’s kitchen.
Wave a hand over one part of the handsome dark quartz countertop speckled with chocolate flecks, and a flat-screen TV rises upward. Walk toward the middle of the wall, do the same thing, and up comes a sleek stainless steel downdraft vent. On the countertop area closest to the integrated refrigerator, yet another wave of the hand conjures a spice rack rising like a genie from a bottle, every container staying perfectly in place through the upward motion. Press two more discreet squares and up pop electrical outlets, which can be put away when not needed.
“Innovation is something that really is a core part of our business,” says Macartney Tonello-Greenfield, director of marketing for Bosa Properties. “It’s something we’ve really embraced as we continue to try and set the bar higher for multi-family residential homes in this region.”
In that quest, Tonello-Greenfield and other members of the Bosa team travelled to Italy to source different components for the homes in the downtown Vancouver highrise; they decided it was important to carefully curate all of the elements they wanted, instead of just buying entire collections from one specific company.
Oak veneer cabinetry features built-in niches rather than handles, creating a sleek, low-maintenance look. Wood and metal inserts mean cooking tools, pots and pans, wine glasses, even cleaning products all stay in place when not in use. Premium Miele appliances include induction cooktops and wall ovens, in either white or black. Certain homes also feature steam ovens and built-in wine refrigerators.
Massively oversized porcelain tiles — available as big as five- or 10-inch —- evoke the look of calacatta marble, and make a pronounced statement both as kitchen backsplashes and wall-to-ceiling high tiling in bathrooms. Wall-mounted fixtures and vanities, integrated countertops, and mirrored medicine cabinets for extra storage are just as contemporary and sophisticated. Nuheat floor heating is there for toasty comfort on a chilly morning or cool evening.
Built-in closet millwork thoughtfully designates space for shoes, with glassed-in drawer fronts to see folded clothing, and bountiful amounts of hanging space. Additional shelves can handle handbags and other accessories.
Other innovations include ‘BosaSPACE’ furniture, which vastly expands the usability of homes, smart home pre-wiring to control lighting, temperature, and music preferences, temperature-controlled lobby storage for grocery deliveries, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Equal thought and attention has been paid to the architecture of the building and the site, says Gregory Henriquez, managing partner of Henriquez Partners Architects.
“This is a simple, but complex site at the ‘hinge’ of Georgia and Pender, where two geometries collide,” he points out. “It’s the gateway to the North Shore, as well as an entry point to downtown — you get views to Stanley Park and down Pender to the east at the same time. So we decided to ‘split’ the building.”
If you’re trying to visualize the bird’s eye view of the site, first imagine a fairly square tower — what Henriquez dubs an ‘urban obelisk’. Then add on a fairly rectangular piece at an angle to the top right hand corner of the square. It is all grounded on a podium, which will likely feature restaurants or cafes, creating pedestrian flow that will spill on to outdoor areas and enliven the area year round.
To combat the sun exposure in warmer months, Henriquez took inspiration from the seaplanes that take off and land in Coal Harbour, as well as the hang-gliding rigs used at Grouse Mountain; deeply angled V-shapes in white steel serve as solar shades on the square building, with the rectangular building picked out in darker grey, amid glassy minimalism.
“The design of the building actually helped with the interior floor plate, because it created more opportunities for privacy,” Henriquez explains. “For instance, the units in the ‘middle’ — where the two portions connect – don’t have overlook issues with residents from one home staring right into another. This also creates opportunity for some larger homes, with really great livability and more perimeter to work with — some have windows on all four sides, rather than just one or two.”
The Tower collection includes one and two bedroom homes, which Tonello-Greenfield expects to be used as pieds-a-terre for people with residences in other parts of the city. The Coal Harbour collection involves sizable two- and three-bedroom units, and is mainly attracting attention from downsizers from the West Side and West Vancouver. Pricing and information about the Estate collection homes is available by request only. Three colour schemes are available: light, grey, and dark.
Cardero residents will also have access to a fitness facility and an expansive landscaped outdoor deck with lounging areas and a barbecue zone.
Tonello-Greenfield says more than 3,500 parties have registered their interest in the 119 homes available; Bosa has actually specified that consumers will only be able to buy one home each right in the sales packet.
“Some of the interest is coming from the existing Coal Harbour community; people here love having a downtown address without having the hustle and bustle you see in other neighbourhoods. This is really an enclave with quiet, tree-lined streets and lots of water. Cardero is a very special project for a very special site — we will definitely be continuing down this path of innovation in our other projects in the future.”
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