Cascade City to be noteworthy for both its look and its location
Kathleen Freimond
The Vancouver Sun
Project: Cascade City
Project address: 5788 Gilbert Road (Tower A currently selling); 5766 Gilbert Road (Tower B, coming soon)
Project City: Richmond
Developer: Landa Global Properties
Architect: Arno Matis Architecture and Rafii Architects
Interior designer: Sublime Interior Design
Project size: 271 homes
Bedrooms: one, two and three bedrooms
Unit size: 505 – 1,505 square feet
Price: one-bedroom starting from $579,900
Construction: Summer 2018
Sales centre: 7100 Elmbridge Way, Richmond
Sales centre hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs
Phone: 604-285-7285
Website: www.cascadecity.com
It’s important for a city’s architecture not to become too predictable, says Arno Matis, principle at Arno Matis Architecture. In a break from the ubiquitous tower-and-podium style, Cascade City, a development planned for Richmond by Landa Global Properties, represents a different configuration where each tower blends into a podium in one continuous form.
Arno Matis Architecture and Rafii Architects collaborated on the design of the development, which comprises two 15-storey towers on a narrow 87,252-square-foot site at Gilbert Road and Elmbridge Way.
“This building is a real departure for Richmond and the result is something quite unique,” Matis says.
The multi-use development is set back from the corner at Gilbert and Elmbridge, enabling the creation of public space at a pedestrian-friendly scale, Matis says.
He explains that on the south side of the towers, the terraces create a cascading effect and that this design was a factor in the naming of the project.
“There was also some thinking about the [Fraser] River and delta with layers of sediment being expressed in layers in the building and peeling back as [the building rises],” he says. “A result is that the units facing south get an incredible amount of light and large outdoor spaces.”
Matis says he hopes people from the community will enjoy the building, and that it will become the kind of development that helps define a community for the future.
“Perhaps the ideas that we’re bringing into Cascade City about a stronger connection to the landscape, a stronger indoor/outdoor connection, those kinds of ideas can be implemented throughout other projects in Richmond,” he adds.
Cascade City will be conveniently positioned near several restaurants and close to Richmond Centre, Aberdeen Centre and the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet mall.
The two towers will include 271 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes ranging in size from 505 to 1,505 square feet, and the development will also include retail space on the ground level. Construction is scheduled to start on Tower A next summer.
At the presentation centre at 7100 Elmbridge Way, the show suite’s interior design is bright and sophisticated with a high-end appliance package. Geèle Soroka, principle at Sublime Interior Design, says she was inspired by the open-plan layouts and floor-to-ceiling windows, which ensure the suites have lots of natural light.
Buyers can choose from two colour palettes. The light palette, as seen in the show suite, has white cabinets and countertops with light oak engineered hardwood floors.
“For the dark option, we have a design that is still bright and clean, but is for someone who likes a little more contrast. This choice has grey cabinets, white countertops and dark oak engineered hardwood floors,” Soroka notes.
The engineered wood floors are laid throughout the open-plan kitchen, living areas and bedrooms, seamlessly connecting the spaces and enhancing the flow, she adds.
The kitchen in the show suite reflects an Italian influence in the high-gloss flat-panel Aster Cucine cabinets along with the marble-inspired quartz countertop and matching backsplash.
“The developer wanted to make sure the quality of the cabinetry suited the architecture – these are premium cabinets,” says Soroka.
The same polished quartz tops the 39- by 117-inch (one-metre-by-three-metre) peninsula with an overhang that easily accommodates four stools, making it a natural gathering place.
Miele appliances enhance the upscale look established by the cabinetry. All units will have a built-in Miele wall oven and integrated dishwasher. The smaller units have 24-inch Miele refrigerators and 24-inch four-burner gas cooktops and hood fan, while the larger units include 30-inch refrigerators, 30-inch four-burner gas cooktops and hood fans. The built-in microwave is by Panasonic.
The 12- by 24-inch Calacatta marble-inspired porcelain tile on the floor and walls of the en-suite bathroom in the show suite underpins the luxurious design, while the Aster Cucine floating vanity with LED under-cabinet lighting and the frameless glass shower enclosure enhance a sense of spaciousness.
The undermount double sinks by Duravit have stylish Aquabrass faucets, and mirrored medicine cabinets provide extra storage.
There is a tub in the guest bathroom, which features 12- by 24-inch vein-cut marble-inspired porcelain tiles and a single sink in a floating vanity.
A separate laundry closet conveniently conceals a stacked LG washer and dryer.
Cascade City’s amenities provide for an interesting range of activities from fitness and yoga to places to enjoy music.
A multi-functional club lounge includes a kitchen and dining area, ping-pong and billiards tables and a mah-jong room. There is also a meeting room and a theatre and karaoke room to socialize with friends and family. A drystone riverbed and stone-paved promenade defines more than 25,000 square feet of outdoor amenity space, which includes a spacious seating area.
And for the musicians in the family, there is a piano room for rehearsal space, plus a music and violin practice room complete with music stand.
Parking (at and above grade) for residents will be accessible from Elmbridge Way and the lane behind the buildings. Also included is a car-wash station, electric-vehicle charging stations, parking spots for bikes, and storage lockers for purchase.
Cascade City will be air conditioned and closed-circuit cameras will monitor the buildings and parking entrances.
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