flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

A 42-story tower envelops residents in Vancouver’s natural beauty

Multifamily Housing

A 42-story tower envelops residents in Vancouver’s natural beauty

Ole Scheeren’s first North American residential building maximizes space and light.


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | March 15, 2022
FIfteen Fifteen exterior
Fifteen Fifteen is meant to add to the city's beauty.

The city of Vancouver is world-renowned for the stunning nature that surrounds it: water, beaches, mountains. A 42-story tower, Fifteen Fifteen, will envelop residents in that natural beauty. Designed by Ole Scheeren, the residential skyscraper will include 202 residences ranging from studios to three bedrooms—all with floor-to-ceiling windows and access to outdoor spaces. 

Studios to 3 Bedrooms
Fifteen Fifteen will consists of studios, as well as three bedrooms.

On the mid and upper levels, the tower also will boast 18 glass-encased homes called “Observatory Residences.” With a starting price of $5 million, each Observatory Residence features 270-degree, floor-to-ceiling windows in a cantilevered space that protrudes from the building, engineered with steel I-beams and diagonal bracing. For residents, the design creates the sensation of floating above the city, ocean, and mountains.

Observatory Residences
Observatory residences consists of 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Located on Vancouver Harbour in the downtown neighborhood of Coal Harbour, Fifteen Fifteen is starchitect Ole Scheeren’s first North American residential building. It’s also the only one for which Scheeren has designed both the interiors and exteriors. His design aims to maximize space and light while maintaining privacy and security. The building has over 65 floorplans, and each residence can be customized with bespoke features and finishes. Residents can choose from three color and material palettes that Scheeren designed to reflect Vancouver’s natural surroundings.

Nature aspect
Interaction with nature was important in the design of Fifteen Fifteen.

“For many years, I have explored the question of how we want to live—in relation to our own private spaces as well as our communities, our cities, and the environment—and what architecture means in this context,” Scheeren says in a statement. “Fifteen Fifteen is about connectivity—connecting people to each other and to their surroundings—and offers an interactive way of living.”

Commissioned by Bosa Properties and Kingswood Properties in 2015, Fifteen Fifteen is expected to open in 2026.

Owner-developers: Bosa Properties and Kingswood Properties

Design architect and architect of record: Ole Scheeren

MEP engineers: Bycar and Nemetz

Structural engineer: Glotman Simpson

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015

Zaha Hadid unveils 'interlocking lattice' design for luxury apartments in Monterrey, Mexico

Hadid's scheme was inspired by the Mexican tradition of interlocking lattice geometries.

Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015

Study: Urban land use policies costs U.S. economy $1.6 trillion a year

The research contends that more affordable housing options can help cities generate significantly more income.

Multifamily Housing | May 17, 2015

New York City runs into affordable housing dilemma

New York City’s affordable housing policy has created attractive low-cost housing, but the price of success has been high.

Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015

Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center

This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping

High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015

Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center

Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.

High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015

Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D

Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen. 

Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015

Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space

Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.

Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015

Colorado House kills construction defects bill

The legislation would have made it harder for condo owners to sue builders.

Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2015

Trade groups extend campaign to promote apartment living

The groups claim that there are more than 37 million Americans—12% of the population—living in just under 20 million apartment units nationwide. Apartments and their residents contribute $1.3 trillion annually to the economy.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 28, 2015

Masdar City: Construction on sustainable residential complex begins

The planned city’s new residences will help support Abu Dhabi’s rapid population growth.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021