Vancouver Sun
Kathleen Freimond
West Third, Anthem’s new 57-unit development, is part of a new era in North Vancouver City as the burgeoning Lower Lonsdale area’s vibrancy and new projects attract buyers from outside the city, says Bryce Rositch, principal at Rositch Hemphill Architects, who designed the building on the corner of West 3rd Street and Chesterfield Avenue.
The architecture for West Third is influenced by its location: the stone accents reflect the nearby mountains while the cedar soffits correlate to the North Shore’s forests. The slope of the 30,000-square-feet site, and the southern exposure with views toward downtown Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge, were used to best advantage by including large windows and expansive terraces, says Rositch.
The landscaping of the terraces, some up to 565 square feet, provide the opportunity for al fresco dining and relaxation or to enjoy a viewing area.
There is seldom the opportunity to have such a large landscaped area for outdoor living, says Rositch, explaining that the terrace space against the building is great for a table and chairs, and then one can move through the landscaping to an expanded viewing area.
“It’s like having two outdoor living areas,” he adds.
The north facing units in the concrete mid-rise have mountain views.
“There’s something magical about staring at the mountains and [these units] provide a real opportunity for move-up buyers or couples looking to get into the market,” says Anthem’s marketing director Krista Whitelock.
The two- and three-bedroom homes (and two townhomes) all with central heating and air conditioning, range in size from 840 to 1,841 square feet, while the development also includes ground-level commercial space.
“The building is in an area where there are a lot of highrises and larger scale buildings. We wanted to include high-end finishes and an elevated offering for people who want to stay – or upsize – in the neighbourhood. Because the building is complete, people can walk through and touch and see exactly what they’re getting,” says Whitelock.
A Mondrian-inspired glass feature wall is an important part of the driveway access off West 3rd Street.
“We didn’t want it to look like a typical entrance to a parking garage, we wanted it to be more like a hotel concierge entrance – a port cochère feel,” says Rositch, adding that the paving in this area also supports the design vision for the drive-aisle.
The glass art wall includes colourful squares and rectangles that are reminiscent of a Mondrian design and is a treat for people driving into the building – or those walking by – as well as a strong statement to reinforce a sense of arrival, says Rositch.
The interior design features light wood tones and matte white finishes to create a modern and fresh palette to appeal to a wide range of buyers while also providing a sophisticated base to enable homeowners to personalize the space.
The south-facing display suite (in the completed building on West 3rd Street and Chesterfield Avenue) benefits from the views and an abundance of light streaming in through the windows and door opening onto the balcony.
The nine-foot ceilings and light-coloured finishes and materials in the kitchen enhance the airy and spacious ambience. The flat-panel cabinetry has two finishes: the upper cabinets have matte-white doors while the lower cabinets are a light woodgrain. The engineered quartz countertops (with a waterfall edge) are a practical choice for this hard-working surface area while full-height marble backsplashes add a stylish touch. The doors and drawers include soft-close mechanisms and under-cabinet LEDs provide useful task lighting.
The major appliances are by Bosch and include a 30-inch counter-depth refrigerator, a five-burner gas cooktop, a speed oven, wall oven and a dishwasher. The refrigerator and dishwasher are integrated to enhance a seamless look in the space.
In the main bedroom’s ensuite bathroom, large format marble-inspired porcelain tiles and the white engineered quartz countertop and backsplash set the tone for a relaxing colour palette. There are double undermount sinks in the floating vanity and extra storage space in two vertical cabinets on either side of the large mirror. The frameless glass shower enclosure includes a rainshower head and a built-in niche for products such as soap and shampoo.
The main bathroom includes a soaker tub while Grohe chrome faucets and white quartz countertops contribute to design consistency throughout the unit.
The laundry room in the two-bedroom two-bathroom and den show suite is a good size with a front-loading side-by-side LG washer and dryer beneath a quartz countertop that provides a functional space for sorting and folding laundry.
While Anthem originally anticipated downsizers would be the primary market – and designed larger-than-usual two and three-bedroom units with extra features such as wall-hung toilets, engineered hardwood floors and premium finishes – to appeal to this demographic, Whitelock says there has also been a positive response from a range of potential buyers including first-time homeowners and young couples.
All units have at least one parking stall and bike storage.
The developer intends to attract service-oriented tenants, restaurants and cafés to operate from the 10,000 square feet of commercial space (with 15 parking spaces to support these businesses).
West Third
Project address: 177 3rd Street West
Project City: North Vancouver, B.C.
Developer: Anthem
Architect: Rositch Hemphill Architects
Interior designer: Cristina Oberti
Project size: 57 units
Bedrooms: Two to three-bedrooms and den
Unit size: 840 – 1841 square feet
Price: Starting from $999,900
Construction: Completed
Sales centre: #107-175 3rd Street West, North Vancouver
Sales centre hours: Daily 12-5pm (Thursdays and Fridays by appointment only)
Phone: 604-449-2228
Website:westthirdbyanthem.com
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