Great Northern Way Campus and Area Updates
 

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Trio of designs unveiled for Great Northern Way Campus
Plans for possible Metro Vancouver technology incubator strike balance between academic, commercial and living space

Curt Cherewayko
July 15-21, 2008 Business in Vancouver

The Great Northern Way Campus (GNWC) is using three designs developed during charrette last month to develop a draft plan for the 2.5-million-square-foot campus that could be ready by late September.

The campus is still a long way from being built, but the three concepts – unveiled June 21 at an open house at the campus – are the first designs to be presented publicly.

They varied in their ratios of land use, but a common conclusion among the three design teams – which included architects, landscape architects, economists, students and sustainability specialists – was the need to strike a balance between residential, commercial and academic space on the grounds.

The plans also emphasized sustainability and public transit use.

“To create vibrancy here, especially around job creation, we need a lot of space allocated for commercial use,” said Dennis Pavlich, GNWC’s president. “We must [also] make it complete with people living here.”

Pavlich noted that the campus will have affordable housing. “Businesses will want to relocate here if there’s a variety of housing styles and a strong sense of place.” The campus’ board will draft a plan that uses elements from each of the charrette designs.

The plan will then be presented to the city for approval,before being presented publicly.

That could happen as early as this winter, although a budget and details on the sources of development capital could be sorted out months later.

“We’re in a hurry,” said Pavlich. “This is not something that’s going to drift endlessly.” Finning International Corp. (TSX: FTT) donated the roughly 20 acres of False Creek Flats land that make up GNWC’s campus to a consortium
of Vancouver post-secondary schools in November 2001. But the property is still largely barren industrial land.

Two of the charrette designs worked within GNWC’s current zoning scheme, which includes about 1.9 million square feet of space for incubators and
businesses, 50,000 square feet of street-level commercial space and 280,000 square feet of residential space.

Team A centred its design around an “agora” – a town square or events space that would be the heart of the campus.

Team B envisioned the campus as an academic creative garage, where the act of “making” is visible.

Team C departed from the current zoning restrictions. It envisioned a dense cluster of buildings on the west side of the grounds that would include roughly one million square feet of residential and 600,000 square feet of commercial space.

“Although we have the 2.5 million [square feet], there has to be some change in the description of what that land use permits,” said Pavlich.
He pointed out that most of the campus land is zoned as I-3, an industrial designation that Pavlich calls “absolutely hopeless.”

“The land-use description is so restrictive and so inflexible that nobody is going to take the risk of purchasing land here knowing that they’re
not going to be able to operate as high-tech companies do today, without violating the current zoning rules.”

Nancy Knight, a GNWC director and an associate vicepresident at the University of British Columbia’s department of campus and community planning, noted that the board didn’t intend to draw any concrete conclusions from the charrette.

She said charrettes are designed to generate a broad range of ideas for use in a subsequent planning process. Knight added that the charrette emphasized the campus’ importance in setting a tone for the development of the rest of the False Creek Flats.

“We don’t [want to] become an empty place once the work hours are finished
for the day.”


cgc@biv.com

Three different concepts were developed as part of a recent design charrette. The intention of the charrette is to develop a wide range of ideas and strategies for the future of Great Northern Way Campus, not to pick a "preferred scheme". These ideas may be incorporated into a Draft Plan to be developed in the Fall, 2008.

We welcome your feedback. Please submit your comments about the Charrette Designs through our online feedback form: http://gnwc.ca/campus_plan_feedback










CONCEPT A


Planning Principles

1. The plan builds on the strengths of the existing site
2. An "Agora" is the central focus of the plan, an events space, a town square
3. New linkages connect the site to the surrounding community
4. The plan is phased, allowing for incremental change
5. Building stock is adaptable
6. Lower structures to the south and higher to the north
7. A new governance model includes a “trust” with community representation and an alternative approach to the zoning and approval process
8. "Innovation" is made visible on the site in the arts, sustainability, and educational pursuits


Sustainability Strategies and Goals

1. The site is a transit intersection linking SkyTrain, streetcar, bikes, and pedestrians
2. As a walking community, the car is de-emphasized and parking is centralized
3. A regenerative site - a healthy, innovative, contributor
4. Energy
* start = low-carbon networked energy
* end = net-zero energy, export to neighbours
5. Water
* start = collect and use all rain water, treat black water
* end = no import of potable water, export clean water
6. Habitat
* start = creating grasslands, marsh habitat
* end = continuous corridor of habitat
7. Ideas
* start = highly visible new technologies tested on each building (new and retrofit)
* end = technologies taken to scale and exported


Site Plan
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...A_siteplan.jpg


Rendering
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...rendering1.jpg


3D-plan
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CONCEPT B


Planning Principles

1. A supple plan – responds to and evolves with opportunities and GNWC partners
2. An academic creative garage – not an ivory tower
3. A place where the act of making is Visible
4. A "Green Room" for civic culture
5. Transit as a key to the public realm
6. Working landscapes – not decorative
7. Industrial Rowhousing
8. Big , Cheap, Solid and well wired
9. Thin buildings and Fat buildings
10. Indoor/outdoor ambiguity
11. Rent for anything
12. Multiple revenue streams


Sustainability Strategies and Goals

1. Skytrain and Tram linked to public space
2. Use of existing buildings in short / medium term
3. A living site
4. Net Zero water
5. Energy from organic waste, solar thermal, geo as available
6. Urban agriculture
7. Performance specs for energy and water use



Site Plan
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...B_siteplan.jpg


Rendering
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...rendering1.jpg


Transit
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CONCEPT C


Planning Principles

1. Connectivity
* …to the downtown
* …to Mt.Pleasant
* …to False Creek
2. Incrementalism
* …not a one-time mega-project
* …maximize use of existing buildings’ finer fabric
* …not mega-tenants
3. Design a process for change
* …rather than a one-time project
4. An island
* …not extending the city grid


Sustainability Strategies and Goals

1. Energy
* Toward Carbon Neutrality
* Energy systems part of research program
2. Energy Systems
* Biomass Heat as a base system
* Heat pump for heating and limited cooling
o Ground Source
o Heat from Treated Sewage
o Air Source
3. Research tool for Students
4. Energy Systems Research
5. Water Treatment
* Onsite sewage treatment and water reuse
6. Water Canal provides site design feature plus:
* Storm water collection system
* Visual building storm water drainage
* Bioswales provide cleansing of water in canal
7. Monitoring
* Tell the story of how it works
* On site and web performance indicators
* Buildings and residential units monitored for feedback to occupants
* Water, Energy, Waste



Site Plan
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...C_siteplan.jpg


Rendering
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...rendering1.jpg


Transit
http://gnwc.ca/files/charrette_outpu...mC_transit.jpg

I'm all for Concept C, the island idea that is off the street grid would work well. And it would be awesome if we could extend the canal all the way to False Creek.

looks interesting

is that skytrain at ground level or is that area raised?

Concept C. That canal thing is truly cool.

They all look like great concepts but I must say the canal in Concept C is really tilting the scales in its favour in my mind.

thanks for posting x2.

my two bits: obviously, concept c is the way to go. no doubt at all.

the massing is great in concept c, and the canals would be amazing. and x2, you're right about how neat it would be to get them out to false creek. in fact, given that there are at least two streams in the area that could be daylighted and re-routed, this isn't as unrealistic as it sounds. moreover, the canals option would work to push the psychological aspect of the false creek sea wall further east, bringing a seriously positive reorientation to the campus' sense of place.

it's especailly exciting when one considers both how shabby the area is today and how much potential there is as the slopes and the santa fe yards are built out over the coming decades. yowza!

^ well, the only problem is where they're going to find the money to build Concept C......I mean, we saw what happened with the $100-million University Boulevard redevelopment. A lot has been cut from the development because of budget constraints, such as the glass roof over the plaza, and now the whole project is back to square one because of opposition (mostly from students).

I can't wait for the excuses people will come up with against canals....."people will start throwing dead bodies in there!"

Concept C looks amazing, but I like concept A. There's a sort of river/canal idea present there too with provisions for the streetcar. I like the fact about the SkyTrain station as well.

I wonder if the people behind concept C read the forums a few years ago. We had some similar ideas, especially Jared iirc with an over the top five minute rendering.

I'd pick option C for the reasons ffk's already mentioned. The walkways on the western end are a little narrow, but that's a minor complaint for a proposal that I imagine has about as much chance as techpark bc had.

thanks for posting all the info.

Thanks for the info.

I doubt the canal idea would fly given the industrial contamination likely to exist under the site. In addition, unless it is an active stream, it's likely to be more of a cesspool rather than a clean water body. Even if it connected to False Creek, the east basin of False Creek is very poorly flushed at present, so I doubt that any flushing would occur at all in a dead-end canal this far east.
Now if they aren't really canals - but reflecting ponds (i.e. concrete lined like the law courts roof), then that's different and would just be expensive to maintain.

In Concept A, it looks like the Skytrain comes to grade under the building before diving underground. I like the streetcar loop in A versus a dead end stub.

In Concept B, I think you're just asking for leakage problems is you abutt the Skytrain tunnel with rainwater retention water tanks.

^ good point on water quality:


As of July 15:

Area - Location - Geometric Mean/Water Quality (the higher it is, the worst it is)
Wreck Beach - Foreshore East - 30
Wreck Beach - Acadia - 60
Wreck Beach - Wreck/Trail 4 - 23
Wreck Beach - Wreck/Trail 6 - 61
Wreck Beach - Wreck/Trail 7 - 55

English Bay - Kitsilano Point - 38
English Bay - Kitsilano Beach - 61
English Bay - Jericho - 31
English Bay - Locarno - 21
English Bay - Spanish Banks - 28

False Creek - West - 130
False Creek - Central - 170
False Creek - East - 780



Coliform warning for False Creek
Bacteria levels in eastern False Creek spike to record-breaking highs

Nicole Tomlinson, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, July 04, 2008

Vancouver Coastal Health is considering issuing an unprecedented warning to kayakers and dragon boaters after coliform bacteria levels in eastern False Creek spiked to record-setting highs, the regional director of health protection said Friday.

A water-quality assessment released Thursday reported levels in the area were at 2,900 -- almost six times higher than any other region monitored by the health authority.

The City of Vancouver closes beaches when coliform bacteria reaches 200, Domenic Losito said.

water quality is indeed a good point, as is the failure of university town (matters like the latter remind me that sometimes, what we really need is a supreme archon to rule us philosopher-king style).

regarding the canal itself qua idea, three thoughts:

1) from an urbanism perspective, canals are pretty much always a good idea. sticking to the american examples, the ala wai canal in honolulu, the san antonio riverwalk, the canal in venice, california, the canals in miami, and of course, the big canal project recently completed in oklahoma city, are all fantastically successful, all overcame natural flow issues, and all cost a lot more to build than this one would. in fact, i know the okc canals (built as part of their maps downtown revitalization scheme) also saw a large-scale decontamination effort, and none of these (to my knowledge), have any health or bacterial issues.

2) i suspect that this plan was developed with a good knowledge of the covered streams in the area, because it hews pretty closely to a pair that remain living underground there. i have a much better map that was made as part of the still creek project, but it's not in digital format. here's the city's lost streams image, it suggests that the gnw ones are dead, but according to the other, more detailed map, they're just covered, waiting to be resuscitated:

http://c.imagehost.org/0130/loststreams.jpg

3) forth worth, texas is currently undergoing a massive waterfront revitalization project that includes the construction of navigable canals in the same sort of vein as these. and guess which architect played a lead role. why, it was bing thom, who's recently mentioned that he's been envisioning a canal project for vancouver, on the techpark site.
here's an image of the forth worth plan trinity river plan:
http://c.imagehost.org/0019/trv1.jpg


conclusion: this gnw campus canal project isn't as far out as it seems at first blush. money, obviously money is the issue

Brewery creek would have entered False Creek at the western edge of this site, between Scotia and Brunswick. The campus is proposed on fill and mudflats over what used to be the eastern half of false creek. Another small creek entered at the eastern edge of the site.

http://www.lesliefield.com/bchs/brew...mages/vos1.gif

http://www.lesliefield.com/bchs/brew...mages/vos1.gif

It would appear that that proposal in Ft. Worth is all running water though... as opposed to False Creek which is a dead end.

The original 1980s vision for the BC Place lands envisioned "restored water links to Chinatown", but the contamination under the area (the Creekside Park extension area) prevented that plan from going ahead.
If Brewery Creek does have sustained flows, that could provide enough fresh water and storm water to sustain a "channel" through the area.

I remember someone posting renderings to that a long long time ago.....it would've been amazing, and would've been a ton better than what lies there today....Andy Livingstone Park and the turf field. I would think that the viaduct would have had to come down?

Doubt the viaducts would have come down.

Ya, I was the one with the completely ridiculous 5 minute photoshop job. I've always thought that it would be great to daylight some of Vancouver's buried streams, if at all feasible. IIRC, to help solve contamination issues, I had a canal linking East False Creek to Burrard Inlet (along Carrol street I think), in order to get some more mixing in the water. Naturally, this is completely impractical, but I thought it was kinda neat.

As for the designs:

A:
I dont like the big slab, to Russian commie-block looking. I wonder if the holes in it are in any way strategically placed for sunlight reasons or whatever, or if it was entirely an aethetics-based desicion.
The streetcar loop is neat (although I dont know of any plans that ever would have had a streetcar running along there, unless its a spur line from the one that will wrap around false creek). Also, the loop appears to be in a rather high-pedestrian-traffic area, which could be a bit of a hassle for both pedestrians and operators, depending on freqencies.

I noticed on the 2D plan that at the bottom there is a water feature. It almost looks like its coming off the roof of the building to the left, like a waterfall (due to colour similarity), but I could be wrong.

The SkyTrain integration is interesting, I kinda of like the idea of the glass sided tunnel/underpass thing they show. The station also seems to integrate nicely into the development (this may be why that commie-block building is so long - it needs to span the 80m ;) platform. A pity the station is so far North though, right up against the BNSF tracks, which will obviously not have any passengers coming from that direction. Putting it a bit more south near GNW would integrate it not only into the campus, but also the existing neighborhood.

B:
What's that single rail spur entering from the West? is that also supposed to be a streetcar, but with an in-and-out (a la Richmond Brighouse or Airport Station) rather than a loop?. Looks like the Skytrain dives into a tunnel earlier here, and the station appears to be at the East end of the Campus. I think it would be better if they put it and the streetcar stop closer to each other, to facilitate quicker transfers. On the other hand, having it near the edge of the campus and near GNW gives better access to the apartments on the south of GNW. Having it at the far east end of campus makes it a little to close to VCC-Clark though, IMO.

Also, putting water tanks on either side of the SkyTrain tunnel is just asking for problems.


C:
Love the canals, if they are financially and/or environmentally feasible. The plan seems to show the canal continueing to both the East and the West, which of course begs the questions: Where does it start, and where does it end? The building massings also look nicecly done, and I think the canal really enhances the walkability of the area.

No streetcar?
The location of the SkyTrain station is nice in the sense that it emphasizes that it serves the campus, but also the surrounding neighborhood. Also, given that they will be right on top of the SkyTrain tunnel, they have to make sure they do a good job leak-proofing everything. I like the location of the SkyTrain station here, near existing communities, but also more Westerly than option B.


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When is this supposed to start construction? I wonder if they will pre-dig a bunch of the SkyTrain tunnels? Since all the proposals integrate the station into buildings, they obviously need to figure out a way to make this work.