Dramatic Renovation

Marquee on the Drive

2250 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Status: Complete

The Challenge

Redeveloping a tired, aging building while diverting 75% of original building materials from the landfill and falling into step with the casual, village like character of ‘the Drive’.

About this Project

This project undertook the dramatic renovation of the mixed use commercial building, located steps from the bustling Commercial Broadway sky train station.

The building was originally designed as offices by Bruno Freschi, the chief architect for the planning of Expo ’86 and Science World. The building was built in 1981 and by 2011, was tired and uninspired.

Our main intent behind the building’s retention and repurposing was primarily sustainability driven. When surveyed the original building, we immediately saw its potential as a building recycling project. With two levels of underground parking, and high quality construction materials (steel, concrete, and brick clad facades), we worked with our client to salvage 75% of original building materials.

Brick by brick, this building was taken apart and put back together to create 58 residential and 8 commercial units, with two new floors added atop the building. For its leadership in environmental design, including both building material recycling and inventive features like a permeable rooftop stormwater retention system, the Marquee on the Drive was built to LEED gold standards.

This redeveloped, recycled 5 storey building adds density to the quickly gentrifying Commercial Drive neighbourhood. To preserve the casual, village like atmosphere at street level, we designed small scale and individualized commercial spaces at ground level, and set back the two new upper floors away from street view.