Wesgroup Properties has unveiled a new, seven-storey, 53-home condo development in Vancouver’s Cambie Village designed by internationally recognized architectural firm Olson Kundig.

The condo called W16 takes Olson Kundig’s iconic single-family home designs and adapts them for city living.

“With W16, we wanted to bring Olson Kundig’s innovative, award-winning home designs into the city,” says Dean Johnson, vice president of development at Wesgroup Properties. “Homebuyers shouldn’t have to give up urban living in order to experience Olson Kundig’s world-class architectural design. W16 gives buyers the opportunity to live in an Olson Kundig-designed home in the heart of Vancouver.”

Seattle-based Olson Kundig was founded on the idea that inspiring surroundings can have a positive effect on people’s lives and that buildings can be a bridge between nature, culture, histories and people. While originally known for its single-family homes, the firm has gone on to design civic buildings, museums, places of worship and even lead the renovation of the Seattle Space Needle.

Dynamic shifting – used by Olson Kundig for the first time on this project – staggers the positioning of each floorplate, which, when combined with insets along the sides of the building, creates corner windows for most units that improve airflow and covered balconies that are protected from Vancouver’s notoriously wet weather. Expansive windows maximize daylight even on gloomy days and are balanced with thoughtfully placed privacy walls.

“W16 demonstrates Olson Kundig’s design ethos of form following performance,” says Tom Kundig, principal at Olson Kundig. “The building’s expression is a natural outcome of designing to enhance the residential experience, with each movement maximizing the potential for capturing daylight and framing views.”

The design team also includes Vancouver-based Inform Projects and Matthew McCormick Studio.