BG Sound: Rose Rouge.
St. Germain

BUILDING TYPOLOGY.

Urban design: Comparisons, 2007.
Roger Kemble

Medium density, incremental, medium-rise/low rise mixed use.

Pedestrian
analysis.

Downtown
culture park.

Policy.

Public
urban space.

Building
typology.

NCPVA.
Foundry restored.

Mountain View Village: Boundary @ Kingsway, Vancouver BC. 1981.
Architect Roger Kemble

Mountain View programme called for commercial, medium / low residential mix: good to illustrate the potential Nanaimo experience. The site lay between Kingsway, a busy retail frontage and East 43rd Avenue, a single-family residential neighbourhood. The design methodology was to maximize retail frontage on Kingsway, residential accommodation over. Gradually the density behind the frontage diminished to singlefamily residences on 43rd. This was not my first experience with articulate neighbours but it was memorable.

Views of the water occupy our attention. There is another view in Nanaimo: majestic Mount Benson. Above shows how a mixed building typology can work. This is the downtown crescent looking at four moderate Gateway Heritage high-rises surrounded by a mix of low-rise buildings: development max-ed out. St. Peter's on the right

A mixed building typology may mean this . . .

But definitely not this . .

LA BOCA
Una vecindad en Buenos Aires. Argentina
Just a reminder: there are alternatives to pink stucco mega-boxes!

CARACAS Venezuela
Whooo -ah, though, easy on the mix . . . !

The above assurance, notwithstanding, pursuing a mixed building typology may inflict temporary inconvenience, such as the above right hand sketch. There may even be instances where preserving singlefamily residences of heritage quality may be desirable: in which case judicious siting is called for. However generally speaking towers looming over discrete areas are to be avoided. The proposed Gateway Heritage guidelines should avoid conflict.

Vivo Gallery residences
555 Franklyn Street, Nanaimo BC. 2005
Architect Roger Kemble

Vivo gallery residences is typical of the medium density low-rise mixed use end of the building typology proposed for the crescent. Vivo has sixty units, Foot-print 50%, FSR maxed-out at 1.25, 35'-0" height: condominiums, lofts, live-work and commercial, 66 space underground parking.

Return to
PUDPN