B+H Architects has won a Gold Urban Design & Architecture Design Award 2023 for 402 Dunsmuir, an office tower in Vancouver that encourages people to live, work and play.
Responding to the city’s recent market renaissance and evolution to a North American technology hub, 402 Dunsmuir — a 150,000 sq.ft., 10-storey, Class A office tower – is one that directly aligns with the city’s ambitions of attracting North America’s top technology and entrepreneurial talent. Its design is inspired by local urban loft and industrial conversions and appeals to tech clients looking for industrial style and creative design, but also modern amenities and building efficiencies that older retrofits simply cannot provide.
Located within the diverse urban context of downtown Vancouver, the proposed building has been designed to both address and respect neighbouring massing, window fenestration, design features, and façade treatments. Focused attention was given to the massing and articulation of the 411 Dunsmuir “Labor Temple” building, the Holy Rosary Cathedral, and the Canada Post Building that are directly adjacent to the site. The building floors are architecturally clustered into groups that step and shift in response to the horizontal datums surrounding the development. The massing articulation provides increased access to daylight for tenants in both the existing and new tower and allows for the creation of usable South and North-facing terraces.
The height of the tower and the set-back of the top floors both preserves views to the church spire and minimizes shadow impact on the park north of the Development. At street level the massing also steps back to create a colonnade that provides pedestrians with an overhang for weather protection. The public realm is further enhanced with the proposed landscaping offering better opportunities for public gathering while providing a range of different outdoor spaces. High-canopy trees are offered versus low, clustering bushes to ensure visibility through the site and to provide shade to tenants and visitors.
Planning, process, and technology are used to their fullest potential as the project responds to Canada’s vision for smart, better, and greener communities. Featuring a dynamic building envelope – which incorporates operable windows all throughout the tower and a high performance, triple-glazed curtain wall – and best-in-class mechanical and electrical systems, the building is LEED Gold certified and will stand as an exemplar of sustainable design in the downtown Vancouver commercial corridor.
402 Dunsmuir was also the recipient of the Best Office Development Award, 2022 NAIOP Vancouver Commercial Real Estate Awards of Excellence.
Design Team
Patrick Fejer and Adele Rankin
