Southlands District Flats

The design of the building is a contemporary interpretation of the buildings referenced in the community plan, with a form and materials that evoke the character of farmsteads and buildings found in agricultural villages. Pitched roofs help with reducing the overall perceived scale of the building massing, providing a rhythm to the façade, and with the relationship to the broader context of existing and future developments in the vicinity.

The building footprint and massing is a response to the physical dimensions and constraints of the site, surrounding a semi-private courtyard amenity space that allows for additional daylighting of units, as well as providing for a communal outdoor space for building residents.

The building's courtyard serves as a semi-private outdoor amenity for building residents, and will include a children's play area, “harvest” table for communal dining, cooking surface, and fixed seating.

The configuration of the units around the courtyard, and overlooking walkways, will help to bolster a sense of ownership by building residents of the courtyard, and provide passive surveillance of the space. Catenary lighting will provide adequate illumination of the courtyard. Ground-floor units with living areas and patios facing the streets and lanes provide “eyes on the street” and encourage civic interaction.

Private patio spaces are provided for all ground level units, which are oriented on the lane and sidewalk side of the units, with sufficient landscaping - such as hedges and low fences - to provide a buffer between the public and private spaces, while maintaining enough openness to foster public interaction.

LOCATION: Tsawwassen, BC
PROGRAM: Mixed-use
PROGRAM: 3,200 sq m
STATUS: In Construction