And now for something completely different – the first development project in Western Canada that’s being developed, designed and delivered by a team of women for women, says Purpose Driven Development founder and CEO Carla Guerrera.
She says she came to the table with the idea of by women for women because women are under-represented in construction, design and development. She says this is an opportunity for the all-female team to demonstrate the leadership abilities of women.
The project, 546 West 13th, is designed to address the gap in housing needs in Vancouver’s pricey rental market. Project partners Purpose Driven and non-profit organization Soroptimist International Vancouver (SIV) will replace a two-storey, 21-unit rental building with a 13-storey building containing 135 affordable rental units.
The building is part of the Broadway Plan, the redevelopment of the east/west Broadway corridor that runs from the University of British Columbia across the city. It will include a transit line.
546 West 13th works toward the city’s goal of providing affordable housing close to jobs and transit. It will also demonstrate the leadership (and power) of women in the male-dominated development and construction sector, Guerrera says. “It’s a unique experience for the team.”
“Working with Carla and the team at Purpose Driven has been a very empowering experience,” says architect Amela Brudar, principal, GBL Architects. “Not only are we collaborating on a precedent-setting all-woman team delivering an important project, but Carla’s leadership and management of the project is strong, inspiring and unique. She is setting the bar for a future of women-led projects in an industry where female leads are greatly underrepresented and needed.”
There will be 50 studios, 38 one-bedroom units, 35 two-bedroom suites and 12 three-bedroom units in a building designed with soft curvy balconies that wrap around the building and flowy curved architecture that feels and reflects organic feminine energy, Guerrera says.
The project will provide rental housing, from subsidized to rent-geared-to-income to market-geared units, for senior women, workforce women and women-led families.
“Women have acute housing needs that are often overlooked. They are disproportionately over-represented in low-wage work, face a gender wage gap and experience increased rates of gender-based violence. In addition, women who are financially dependent face an increased risk of homelessness,” says Carla Busnardo of Soroptimist International of Vancouver.
“Soroptimists improve the lives of women and girls by providing them with access to education and training to achieve economic empowerment. Our innovative project that we are proposing on Vancouver’s Broadway Corridor will empower women economically through holding a lease in their name and support stability and families in achieving financial independence,” she says.
The project also aims to build support in the building, creating a connection between women in different stages of life. A shared space at the back includes a Zen garden and a children’s play area. Rather than a traditional lobby, the entry space is designed as a living room for the entire building and offers community space when you come into the building. Guerrera says that instead of giving rooftop space to individual units, there is shared indoor/outdoor amenity space with city views, a library and co-working and yoga spaces.
Family units are at ground level and connected to outdoor space. Thirty-five per cent of the suites are for families.
The project is currently in rezoning at city hall and construction is slated to begin early 2022.
There has been overwhelming support for the project, although there have been some resident concerns regarding height, building form and traffic. The original plan called for 20 storeys with mixed-use retail and office on the main level. However the building was dropped down seven storeys to comply with the city’s View Cone requirements (a policy to protect views of the mountains), she says. Despite the city’s support of the project, “it hasn’t been a cake walk.”
Guerrera says, “We’re so excited to be delivering this project. Every city across North America deserves to have projects like this.”
Guerrera started development and planning firm Purpose Driven Development in 2016 after being in the development industry for 20 years.
The company’s goal is to “unlock potential for redevelopment to create communities where we can all thrive,” she says, adding that Purpose Driven partners with developers, institutions, governments, First Nations and non-profits and has delivered over $1 billion in complex, mixed-used real estate developments in Canada’s top markets.
Purpose Driven’s projects include the Urban Development Institute’s award-winning Prescott mixed-use development in North Vancouver and the West Don Lands master plan development on Toronto’s waterfront.
Guerrera is a recipient of the ULI’s Top 40 Under 40 global land use professionals award and a Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 award.
Connie Adair is a contributing writer for REM.
