Project Tag: Public

Charge Barge

A future that involves electric ferries docking just steps away from BOP’s Coal Harbour office is real, thanks to Greenline and their proposed ferry service connecting Gibsons, Bowen Island, and Vancouver, which is on track to launch in 2027. Passionate about sustainability and connecting people seamlessly from shore to shore, BOP gladly jumped on board to help create the “charge barge” design. The charge barge is a self-contained floating terminal that expands docking capacity and transfers power to vessels during docking periods.

The first charge barge location will be just outside Gibsons Landing with an eye to reusing the design for other harbours. BOP is proud to support this bold step towards sustainable maritime mobility in our region and bring us closer to our coastal neighbours. Projects like this remind us that our work isn’t just about designing buildings – it’s about contributing to a larger network of living, working, moving, and recreating, supported by structures and systems of all kinds.

Langara

Situated in the unceded traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), this project represents a unique partnership between local and First Nation stakeholders. The development will feature a variety of housing types, a community YMCA, an inclusive public realm, and pedestrian links to Langara College, the golf course, and the transit station. Guided by the wisdom and traditions of the Musqueam people, the project aims to create a unique intersection of community and inclusive living.

The design incorporates cascading gardens and gathering places, engaging residents and visitors in high-quality public spaces. Views to the south and the Fraser River visually connect the site to its elevated position. The design integrates Musqueam culture and history, culminating in a south-facing gathering place that enhances the pedestrian experience and links to Langara College.

Related Work

See All

River District Parcel 30

Located in Vancouver’s River District near the Fraser River, Parcel 30 is composed of two residential towers with a podium extension, joined by a single shared parkade. In response to its geographical context, this project is imagined as a tree sitting along the bank of the Fraser River, with a simple core ‘trunk’ and the slabs as ‘bows’ extending out to a lightened point. Like a misty morning on the riverbank, the building is shrouded in lightweight and lightly coloured screens and corrugated materials that obscure the structure behind with different levels of transparency depending on the perspective.

At grade, both buildings provide residential amenity space fronting the courtyard, while commercial retail spaces in the east building and ground-oriented flats in the west building further activate the streetscape. Masonry in warm, natural colours is used at lower down on the building to offer a more tactile and human-scaled experience, while the towers primarily employ cool-toned metal and glass to reinforce the mist-like effect.

Related Work

See All

Other Projects

(1) Arbutus Centre Redevelopment (2013)
(2) False Creek Towers (2009)
(3) CBC Building (2009)

In all our work, we strive to create buildings that are connected to their surrounding community, making the neighbourhood a more vibrant and enjoyable place to live. Each project provides a unique opportunity to enhance this connectivity through thoughtful design at all scales.

Projects like the Arbutus Centre Redevelopment, False Creek Towers, and the CBC Building all showcase this interplay with the public realm and careful attention to the public/private transition.

Related Work

See All

Fraser Mills

Designed as an 82-acre mixed-use development, Fraser Mills is comprised of major employment nodes and light industry, as well as up to 5 million square feet of mixed residential uses, highlighted by a three-block Main Street leading to a waterfront pier at the Fraser River Edge.

Flood mitigation and river edge rehabilitation is a major part of this design. The project was focused on two kilometres of continuous publicly-accessible waterfront and a two-acre park.

Alan Boniface was principal in charge and lead designer/planner.

Related Work

See All

Planning Projects

(1) Cowichan First Nation
(2) Diamond Ave
(3) Bowen Island Seymour Landing
(4) Leq’á:mel First Nation Deroche
(5) Westbank First Nation Kelowna

Urban design and planning are essential to the creation of healthy vibrant cities. Because of this, we believe in focusing our practice on the large and small city-making undertakings that truly make a difference. We combine this with our core architectural practice to continue our goal of creating locally focused vibrant communities. In our work we have also found that smaller oftentimes forgotten, communities, especially some First Nations communities, benefit greatly from this wholistic approach.

We believe that the best urban environments are vibrant, sustainable, walkable, and designed to grow with the community itself. We work closely with our clients and partners to bring their vision to life, creating joyful, livable neighbourhoods and connected communities.

Related Work

See All

JJ Bean

Featured locations: Bidwell, Cambie, Dunsmuir, False Creek, Fraser, Lonsdale (North Van), Marine Building, St. Clair (Toronto)
Not pictured: Railway, Adelaide (Toronto)

JJ Bean built its brand on providing great service, great coffee and food, and great spaces. To deliver great spaces, each location is unique and responds to the neighbourhood or the building it finds itself in. Our work on ten locations in Vancouver and Toronto makes the history, character, and found condition the inspiration for the design.

Each location seeks to provide a memorable and highly particular experience. From a contemporary interpretation of Art-Deco ornament at the iconic Marine Building to an abstracted walk along a forest hiking trail at the Lonsdale store, each design finds a way to link the interior to local character.

Adrian Politano was involved with design, documentation, and construction admin.

Related Work

See All

Coronation Park

Boasting mountain views to the west and situated adjacent to Inlet Centre SkyTrain Station, Coronation Park is the ideal location for a people-centered mixed-use development that envisions the transformation of 14.8 acres of an existing single-family residential area into a series of parks, open space, and podium gardens amid low and high-rise residential buildings incorporating office, retail, daycare, amenity spaces, and homes. The project is designed as an essential piece of the Port Moody urban fabric as a place of community interactivity, small-scale commerce, and a sense of home. These critical design elements are not just for those who choose to live and work here, but for the greater community beyond. The Central Green (City-owned park) overlooking the Inlet will become a jewel for Port Moody, locals could gather and take part in any number of diverse activities.

Related Work

See All

River Mile Denver

Representing one of the most significant Urban redevelopments in the United States, the Rivermile seeks to reconnect Denver to it’s river edge while providing a publicly focused, sustainable and walkable urban environment. Focused on a approximately 3-acre central park and gathering space, the development seeks to create a thriving mixed-use urban district unlike any other. With approximately 15 million square feet of development, a variety of walkable experiences characterize the spaces between buildings and along the River’s edge.

All of the mile long river’s edge is publicly accessible, highlighted by pedestrian bridges over the South Platte River. Roads have been carefully designed as pedestrian first environments and all parking and loading is accommodated on building sites. Alan Boniface helped lead the project for Revesco in partnership with SAR of Denver.

Visit River Mile

Related Work

See All

River District OCP

River District, also known as East Fraser Lands, is embedded in layers of rich history, and meaning. Our design for the Waterfront Precinct seeks to unite the community with the Fraser River, making the riverfront an inseparable part of the East Fraser Lands experience. As the ‘soul’ of the project, the Waterfront Precinct includes the pedestrian-oriented High Street (now named River District Crossing), that gently curves towards the water, opening views out to the river, and terminates at a highly active and unique waterfront area.

The precinct contains the tallest buildings in the East Fraser Lands, making it the focal point of the community. All these buildings feature a mix of uses and a variety of housing tenure options including affordable, rental and market housing units. The Community Centre, local shops and services, waterfront retail, riverfront parks and plazas form part of this area and are key components of this vibrant waterfront.

Area 1’s master plan process (OCP and rezoning) has concluded, while Area 3 is currently in-process.

Related Work

See All