Tag: vancouver | ArchDaily

Vancouver Architecture City Guide: 20 Projects Behind North America's Most Livable City

Hana Abdel — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

As the overview of the FIFA World Cup 2026 cities continues, we move on to what is currently the most livable city in North America, Vancouver. Dubbed the city of glass by artist Douglas Coupland, who was referring to the downtown's dominant steel-and-glass architectural aesthetic, the city actually boasts diverse architecture, from 20th-century Edwardian buildings to unique 21st-century modernist sites.

Purple Brand Operations Studio / Scott & Scott Architects

Hana Abdel — Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Built as a 14,000 sq' (1300 sq.m) workspace for the denim focused fashion label Purple Brand, the project consists of the interior design of a warehouse built in 1973 in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant industrial district.

leləm̓ Community Center / Francl Architecture

Susanna Moreira — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Set in the University of British Columbia's Endowment Lands of Pacific Spirit Park, on Musqueam ancestral territory, the leləm̓ Community Center is a thoughtfully planned facility grounded in the Musqueam principles of caring for the land, sustainable living, and fostering a vibrant community life.

Osler House / Scott and Scott Architects

Hadir Al Koshta — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Located in a southern sloping Vancouver neighbourhood, the mid-century house is one of the few remaining bungalow-scaled homes in a part of the city where larger lots were desirable for the construction of larger houses in the 1980s and 90s. The 1 ½ story house, both designed in 1952 and renovated in 1982 by the Canadian Architect Ron Thom, sits beneath a mature canopy of cedars, maples, and dogwoods. The home's spaces are sheltered under staggered planes of 3x6 cedar roof decking, with the living space guarded from the street by a concrete brick hearth with clerestory and terrace glazing opening the house to the south.

E44 Laneway House / Imu Chan Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

E44 Laneway House is the first permanent home for a young couple and their cat. Within 700 square feet (65 square meters), the project responds to the habits and nuances of both human and feline occupants.

Anzio Laneway House / Imu Chan Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

On a hillside laneway stands a white monolith, sharply defined amidst the neighbouring stucco homes. It takes on the form of a simple house but wears an industrial, utilitarian exterior. It is monochromatic and almost austere; a window folds at the eave, reaching toward the roof ridge. The large glazing steals the colour hues of the sky like a chameleon.

Yield House / Splyce Design

Valeria Silva — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Located in Vancouver's westside on an east-west oriented site, the Yield House was designed for hosting multiple family guests throughout the year.

The Butterfly and First Baptist Church Complex / Revery Architecture

Andreas Luco — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:00:00 +0000

The Butterfly + First Baptist Church Complex — As cities densify and land grows scarcer, sacred sites – long seen as untouchable – are emerging as unexpected catalysts for urban transformation. In Vancouver, where rising housing demand and social isolation intersect, The Butterfly introduces a new urban typology: design-forward vertical living anchored in community and culture. This landmark project represents a unique partnership between architects, a religious institution, and developers to reimagine church-owned land as an eclectic mixed-use village.

From Vancouver to Kyiv: Architecture Now Showcases Global Projects Shaping Sacred, Civic, and Cultural Spaces

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As cities and communities adapt to new cultural, environmental, and social realities, architecture is taking on an expanded role in shaping spaces of resilience, gathering, and imagination. This edition of Architecture Now highlights six recent projects that span continents and typologies, from the redevelopment of post-industrial landscapes to sacred architecture, cultural pavilions, and civic hubs. Whether through mass timber innovation in Vancouver and Jülich, adaptive reuse in Ostrava, a children's pavilion in London, a spiritual centre in India, or a parametric church in Kyiv, each project demonstrates how design can bridge heritage and innovation while fostering connection, care, and community.

Re-folded House / Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses

Hana Abdel — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Text description provided by the designers. In an unusual occurrence, our client approached us with a request to re-conceptualize a house mid-way through construction as she took over management of the project from her parents. As a younger person, she came in with new ideas and a different perspective. She asked us to critically reconsider typical programmatic uses and relationships that commonly occur in residential design.

World’s Most Liveable Cities in 2025: Discover the Cities With the Top Quality of Life

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its Global Liveability Index for 2025, assessing 173 cities worldwide across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. This year, Copenhagen has taken the top position, ending Vienna's three-year run as the world's most liveable city. The Danish capital earned high scores in stability, education, and infrastructure, narrowly surpassing Vienna, which saw a decline in its stability rating following recent security incidents. The average global liveability score for 2025 remains steady at 76.1 out of 100, unchanged from 2024. While year-on-year improvements were recorded in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, these were offset by a continued decline in stability, driven by rising geopolitical tensions, civil unrest, and increased security threats in several regions.

The Most Liveable Cities in the World in 2024: Discover Top Quality of Life Locations Globally

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The pursuit of an ideal city has long been a topic of debate among architects and urban planners. In addition to aesthetic identity and cultural heritage, the quality of life in every city represents perhaps the most important marker in this pursuit. This year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has released its Global Liveability Index 2024, highlighting the cities that excel in this ongoing quest. For the third consecutive year, Vienna ranked as the most liveable city in the world. European cities Copenhagen, Zurich, and Geneva also rank high, attributed to their smaller populations, which contribute to lower crime rates and less congestion. In comparison with the 2023 ranking, the numbers for North American and Australian cities have been dragged down by the ongoing housing crisis.

wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School / hcma architecture + design

Hana Abdel — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000

wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School is the Vancouver School Board's first completed school to be constructed entirely of prefabricated CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels, a material that reduces embodied carbon and makes for a calm and inspiring learning environment. The school is part of a Vancouver School Board pilot project to assess the possibilities of mass timber for future schools.

House 23.2 / Omer Arbel

Daniel Portilla [Dapo] — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:27:00 +0000

Designed by Omer Arbel, House 23.2 is a family home built on a large rural area on the outskirts of Vancouver on the west coast of Canada. There's a gentle slope from east to west and two masses of forest that define two "outdoor rooms," each with its own ecology and different lighting conditions. The house is situated at the point of maximum tension between these two environments, defining them as distinct while also providing a transition between them.

Thom Mayne Presents "Constructing the Spontaneous" in Vancouver, Canada

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:30:00 +0000

The Pritzker-winning architect Thom Mayne is presenting his display “Constructing the Spontaneous” in the Paul Kyle Gallery in Vancouver, Canada. Known for his contributions to architecture and design, the architect founded Morphosis in 1972, embodying his philosophy of architecture as an ever-evolving, dynamic process. Mayne’s latest display features his artworks, diving into the intricate relationship between cutting-edge technology and timeless human expression.

Embodied Carbon in Real Estate: The Hidden Contributor to Climate Change

Anneli Tostar — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 03:30:00 +0000

The window for solving climate change is narrowing; any solution must include embodied carbon. The Sixth Assessment Report published by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) concludes that the world can emit just 500 gigatonnes more of carbon dioxide, starting in January 2020, if we want a 50 percent chance of staying below 1.5 degrees. In 2021 alone, the world emitted about 36.3 gigatonnes of carbon, the highest amount ever recorded. We’re on track to blow through our carbon budget in the next several years. To quote the IPCC directly: “The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years (high confidence).”

World's Most Liveable Cities in 2023: Discover the Cities Offering the Highest Quality of Life

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

For the second consecutive year, Vienna is the world’s most liveable city according to The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2023 Global Liveability Index. Topping the ranking for the fourth time in five years, Vienna has excelled in stability, culture and entertainment, and reliable infrastructure. Copenhagen in Denmark maintained its second position while Melbourne and Sydney came in third and fourth position, rising to the top 5 where they previously had a consistent presence among the leading positions, before the pandemic.

Northwest Native: Homes of the Salish Sea

Eric Baldwin — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 05:30:00 +0000

The Pacific Northwest is synonymous with rainy mountains, expansive coastlines and dense forests. Known for its majestic landscapes, the region has innate connections to the waterfront. Over time, these channels were referred to as the Salish Sea. Encompassing the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound, the intricate network of bays and inlets is bounded by British Columbia and Washington. Dotted with a number of major port cities, including Bellingham, Vancouver, and Seattle, the Salish Sea has also been home to many indigenous peoples.