Archetype will be Vancouver’s first tri-mix property that blends office, residential and light creative industry all in one place. The development features an eight-storey office tower, a mid-rise residential building and two whole floors dedicated to light industry.GBL Architects/Supplied
Vancouver’s False Creek Flats neighbourhood – crisscrossed with railroad tracks and home to an eclectic mix of industries, offices and city services – is an employment hub in the middle of a metamorphosis.
Over the next three decades, the neighbourhood – a 450-acre tract of land just east of Vancouver’s main downtown – is expected to attract 22,000 new jobs, bringing the total number of workers up to 30,000. Driving this shift are several planned and continuing developments, including Archetype, a dynamic mixed-use project.
Vancouver’s first tri-mix development
As Vancouver’s first tri-mix property, Archetype blends work, life and play by incorporating residential, office and light creative industry into one compact community. The development features an eight-storey office tower with up to 40 separate units, a mid-rise residential building with 200 rentals and two whole floors dedicated to light industry, which refers to small-scale production, simple manufacturing and food commissary.
“Archetype is poised to become a nucleus for innovation and collaboration,” says Paul Faibish, senior vice-president of development at QuadReal Property Group, the property’s developer. “Mixed-use developments are becoming increasingly prevalent due to growing housing needs, the push for more efficient land use and rising urban demand for walkable, vibrant communities.”
The project brings much-needed housing to False Creek Flats, with the goal of building a community that connects the neighbourhood’s industrial heritage with innovative enterprises of the future. “The city’s plan was to try and establish a new neighbourhood typology with an opportunity for people to be able to work and live together [in different industries],” says Andrew Emmerson, principal at Vancouver-based GBL Architects and lead on the project. “It really was quite an unorthodox mix.”
An economic enclave
The goals of Archetype align with the City of Vancouver’s plan for the False Creek Flats neighbourhood – a local employment hub that’s expected to attract 22,000 new jobs over the next 30 years.GBL Architects/Supplied
Land that’s viable for development and zoned for industry – generally referred to as employment land – has been steadily decreasing in Vancouver as dense residential and mixed-use communities rise. As one of the few neighbourhoods with zoning laws that allow for a variety of business types, False Creek Flats has historically been home to some of the most expensive industrial land in the Vancouver region. Today, it’s an employment hub known for its mix of art galleries, studio space, educational institutions, tech and gaming enterprises, product manufacturers and waste management infrastructure.
Vancouver has been investing in the transformation of False Creek Flats since 2017, when the city approved a community-crowdsourced, multiyear plan that focuses on the neighbourhood’s growth potential. The plan intends to increase the area’s job count by creating new positions in tech, health care and education in a mixed-use enclave that’s both walkable and easily accessible to transit. SkyTrain service is expanding in the region with the Broadway Subway Project, which is set to begin running in 2027, with two new stations serving False Creek Flats.
One of the neighbourhood’s first large projects, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, opened in 2017, injecting about $200-million into the local economy through approximately 2,200 jobs. Gaming company Electronic Arts also opened a 120,000-square-foot office in 2023, while the new St. Paul’s Hospital and a 10-storey medical office will open their doors in 2027.
QuadReal Property Group acquired the land at East 1st Avenue and Main Street, where Archetype will be located, in 2017 – the same year the city’s ambitious plan was approved. To bring the project to life, the company has been working with fellow developer Hungerford Properties, real estate services firm Cushman and Wakefield and real estate brokerage Rennie.
Fresh amenities for the new-age work force
Archetype offers AAA-classified office space designed to LEED® Gold standards, with exclusive amenities to appeal to commercial tenants. Some of these include a large indoor common area with informal workspaces and meeting rooms, a south-facing rooftop deck with a built-in barbecue and keg tap, dining tables and seating, as well as showers and storage to encourage bike usage. Commuting will also be convenient since Archetype is located two minutes from the SkyTrain.
“It makes a lot of sense to give residents and office workers flexibility in the proximity to services that they look for in their work or work-at-home environments,” says Maged Senbel, associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning. “Through COVID, we’ve discovered a lot about what our capacity is for different kinds of work, but also what our needs are … Creating and supporting a community at work are important for mental health.”
Industrial design for modern tenants
Archetype offers AAA-classified office space designed to LEED® Gold standards, with easy access to transit and exclusive amenities, including a large indoor common area with informal workspaces and meeting rooms, a rooftop deck with a barbecue and keg tap, and more.GBL Architects/Supplied
Mr. Emmerson drew design inspiration from the False Creek Flats’ industrial heritage and Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains. “We’re trying to elevate as much of the workspace and living space as possible to make use of the views to the north, but also to the south,” he says. “We’ve got some great solar exposure along the south side.”
Archetype’s light-industrial and office spaces will have 11-foot ceilings with exposed HVAC and a loft-like feel, echoing the neighbourhood’s industrial influence. The glass and steel structure will complement the False Creek Flats’ changing landscape.
When it comes to the property’s light-industrial leases, there’s a number of different types available to reflect the variety of potential tenants. “We anticipated a full range, acknowledging that some of them will be establishing a public or semi-public connection or desire the opportunity to spill out into some kind of outdoor patio space,” says Mr. Emmerson.
Commercial occupancy is expected to begin later this year, and while specific tenants haven’t been confirmed, Mr. Faibish says demand for “high-quality office strata and light industrial spaces in proximity to the new St. Paul’s Hospital has been particularly strong.” He says he’s seeing interest from health-tech companies, professional service firms and creative industries organizations looking to establish themselves.
While Archetype is the first tri-mix development in the city, it’s not the last. Vancouver-based developer Strand is working on Three Sixty, a mixed-use project also containing residential, office and light industry, just south of the False Creek Flats in Mount Pleasant.
“Aligning the aspirations of engineering, planning and different departments at the city to make these complicated buildings work is important,” says Mr. Emmerson. “To have walkable neighbourhoods with sustainable buildings that create infrastructure upgrades that allow for more bike networks and opportunities for public transit is special.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that False Creek Flats is located just south of Granville Island in Vancouver. It is just east of Vancouver's main downtown area.