Mirabel at English Bay 1345 Davie two towers of 18 and 19-storey with a total of 149 homes by Marcon
Marcon?s Mirabel at English Bay takes prime position in the West End
Kathleen Freimond
The Vancouver Sun
Mirabel at English Bay
Project location: 1345 Davie Street, Vancouver
Project size: Neighbouring 18- and 19-storey buildings (149 homes) with studio/one-bedrooms (405 to 915 square feet), two-bedrooms (756 to 1,336 square feet), and three bedrooms (2,132 to 2,659 square feet)
Price: One-bedroom homes from $615,900, two-bedroom homes from $910,900, three- bedroom homes from $5.25 million
Developer: Marcon Developments
Architect: Henriquez Partners Architects
Interior designer: Alda Pereira Design
Construction: concrete
Warranty: 2-5-10
Sales centre: 1283 Davie Street, Vancouver
Hours: open by appointment
Phone: 604-681-8110
Website: mirabelbymarcon.ca
With livability as a priority for its new residential projects, Marcon Developments focused on this theme for Mirabel at English Bay, side-by-side 18- and 19-storey buildings in Vancouver’s West End, one of the city’s most central and character-filled neighbourhoods.
Nic Paolella, director of development for Marcon says the two concrete highrises on Davie Street are designed to fit right into the existing ambience of the area, where the local residents enjoy the proximity to the beaches of English Bay, the unique elements of the local parks like the A-Maze-Ing Laughter public art installation in Morton Park, and the convenience of the commercial area with its shops and restaurants.
The name of the development—Mirabel—is a nod to the heritage of the area.
“Walking around we noticed many buildings from the 1950s and ’70s with personified names. They seemed to convey an approachable and friendly character that is reflective of the neighbourhood. The name Mirabel rang true in the context of this community,” says Paolella.
Located in a prime position in the West End, at the crest of the hill to English Bay, Richard Henriquez of Henriquez Partners Architects paid special attention to the siting of the building to deal with the slope while maximizing the dramatic sightlines to the West and South.
Henriquez also found inspiration for the buildings in the typical architectural elements of the West End.
“We interpreted the character of the area through a modern lens to create buildings that are both contemporary and respectful of the West End’s architectural heritage,” he adds.
Like many other buildings in the area, Mirabel will be set back from the street front, creating space for gardens, shrubs and trees to screen recessed residential entries.
The distinctive 24- by 8-foot staggered balconies deliver several advantages beyond the visual interest they add to the façade. The staggering effect will provide better privacy for residents, separating outdoor living space for each home, and they also play a role in shading the structure to keep the building envelope cooler.
A low threshold and sliding doors provide easy access to the balconies to seamlessly connect the indoor and outdoor spaces.
The two buildings comprise 149 units; 36 studio/one-bedroom/one-bedroom and den, 105 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom plus 68 social housing units that will be owned by the City of Vancouver.
Buyers can choose from two colour palettes, Beach and City, says Alda Pereira, principal of Alda Pereira Design. The suite at the sales centre showcases the Beach option with white-oak engineered hardwood floors and white cabinetry. The City scheme is based on taupe colours that Pereira describes as a light, warm grey.
With the exception of the bathrooms, the oak flooring is used throughout, contributing to a sense of spaciousness in the units, says Pereira. In the two-bedroom show suite the den is presented as a multipurpose room and a good place for the TV.
“The living room is more an entertaining room with vistas of English Bay— it’s really more of a space for lounging, relaxing, or entertaining than for the TV,” she adds.
Pereira says the kitchens in the development are a standout.
“The kitchen is so well organized with plenty of storage in pullout drawers and cabinets. They are accessorized with all the organizers, so there are places to put plates, pots and platters,” she says.
Countertops, including on the three- by nine-foot island, are a light-coloured Caesarstone quartz with a honed finish while the Carrara marble hexagon-shaped tiles in the backsplash are inspired by the original buildings of that shape that were constructed along nearby Beach Avenue in the 1960s, says Pereira.
Although the residents at Mirabel are expected to dine out often at the many restaurants in the West End, the kitchen includes high-end appliances like a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer and a Wolf cooktop and wall oven along with a Bosch dishwasher.
However, black accents such as the faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms and the frame of the den’s steel and glass doors add a contemporary flair to the space, says Pereira.
“The doors slide so you can open up the den area to the other rooms or close it off and enjoy it as a private space,” she adds.
The doors, that can be seen in the show suite, are a focal point in the larger two-bedroom units only.
In the master ensuite the hexagon shaped Carrara marble tile is used above the countertop line while the same marble in 12- by 24-inch tiles covers the walls and floor.
The clean lines of the matte black Odin tap-ware fixtures by Brizo contribute to the elegance of the ensuite that also includes a wall-hung toilet by Duravit and a free-standing soaker tub by Victoria and Albert. A Carrara slab tops the vanity with double sinks while concealed lighting behind the mirror adds a stylish touch.
The black corner structure of glass shower enclosure continues the theme of black accents that punctuate the design of the unit.
Residents will have access to an indoor and outdoor amenity space above the podium, a well-equipped gym and a children’s play area.
Paolella says construction on Mirabel at English Bay is scheduled to start late in 2017 or early 2018.
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