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 | Apr 8, 2015

Roof air leakage issues in multifamily buildings isn’t just 'hot air' talk

Paladino's Robert Hayes talks about venting regulations in New York and how air leaks can cost residents upwards of $3,000 a year.

Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2015

$100 billion 'city from scratch' taking shape in Saudi Arabia

The new King Abdullah Economic City was conceived to diversify the kingdom's oil-dependent economy by focusing more in its shipping industry.

High-rise Construction | Apr 6, 2015

Melbourne tower will light up depending on weather

The tower will be illuminated by 164-foot-tall beams of LED light based on weather updates from the Bureau of Meteorology. 

Multifamily Housing | Apr 2, 2015

Historic Cabrini Green church to be demolished for tech-focused multifamily development

The infamous neighborhood’s Saint Dominic’s Church “was instrumental in taming a part of the city that grew up from the swamps as a lawless district of vice and poverty,” according to the Chicago Architecture blog.

Modular Building | Mar 31, 2015

Phoenix apartment complex will be made from recycled shipping containers

The eight-unit complex, called Containers on Grand, was inspired by the need for affordable and sustainable housing near the city's core.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 31, 2015

Plans for a new condo tower in New York create a ‘communal ecosystem’ for residents

The conceptual plans for a 700-foot-tall, 65-story condominium tower in New York City were unveiled in early March by its architect, Perkins+Will.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 27, 2015

Bathroom fixtures get a starchitect makeover by Bjarke Ingels

This Danish starchitect elevates the toilet paper holder (and other bathroom accessories).

High-rise Construction | Mar 24, 2015

Timber high-rise residential complex will tower over Stockholm waterfront

The four towers, 20 stories each, will be made entirely out of Swedish pine, from frame to façade.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 24, 2015

High tech automation is one new condo development’s calling card

The Sterling Collection in Arizona will include the first robotic parking garage for a West-Coast residential community. 

Multifamily Housing | Mar 23, 2015

Multifamily for Millennials: Understanding what Gen Yers want in apartment design

Authentic public spaces, pet-friendly options, and inviting, tech-focused lobbies are among the key ingredients to a successful multifamily rental development, writes BLT Architects’ Michael R. Ytterberg.

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