Proposed Social Housing project for First Nation Peoples to be Passive House

A proposed social housing project in Vancouver will use cross-laminated timber floor and envelope panels, incorporate a green roof, and seek Passive House certification. The site, in the middle of a block in the Grandview Woodland to the east of Downtown Vancouver, is currently occupied by a three-story social housing building with 36 units designated specifically for individuals with First Nations ancestry, but it was unfortunately damaged by a fire in 2017. The new building will also be exclusively for indigenous peoples, but will be nine stories and will include 84 units.

The design, according to GBL Architects, “references the Coast Salish Peoples basket weaving tradition.” The add: “The wood expression celebrates the first inhabitants of this area, calling it Khupkhahpay’ay—meaning Cedar Tree.”

To see more renderings, check out the original post from Daily Hive.

[Rendering courtesy of GBL Architects/M’akola Development]