Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 97

Landscape

ConceptThe 720 Beatty Street development is a unique example of ‘urban succession’. The steam plant facility was created to replace the City’s coal burning power plant and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better suit its prime location in a modern urban environment. Now, this project proposes the next logical evolution of this facility, with the steam plant’s integration into a mixed-use urban development, layering new vitality to downtown Vancouver. Aspects of the new design will showcase the embedded infrastructure within, completing the narrative arc.

The landscape strategy takes its cue from an entirely different, yet related evolution - the premise of ‘natural succession’. A now bustling urban metropolis, Vancouver sprung up where old growth forest once stood, since harvested to fuel the city’s economic and physical growth.

This project aims to put this natural succession back in our collective consciousness, restoring a missing link to the city’s ‘roots’. A series of large scale landscaped ‘islands’ will showcase giant, salvaged trees from various local and regional sources in various states. Once collected and sited, their gradual decay will then support and accelerate new forms of growth, habitat and ecologies. New western red cedar trees (British Columbia’s official provincial tree) will be encouraged to grow up and claim their space, while ferns and mosses populate the sited fallen specimens below. The public will be invited to observe and interact with these living installations, watching as they evolve from season to season, and year to year, as cycles of death and new life are poetically expressed in the gardens.

A Stunning Gateway to Northeast False Creek The incredible landscape of Stanley Park - the city’s old growth artifact - is linked via Georgia Street to the False Creek basin and waterfront where the timber resources were historically processed and the city flourished from a small lumber town to a contemporary global city.

Showcasing Urban & Natural Succession A Coherent Language of Building Forms and Landscape ‘Islands’ that facilitate flows of movement and also encourage resting.

Connecting One Vancouver... ... With the Other Vancouver

Gateway Site to Southeast False Creek Connecting Lost Lagoon with False Creek Basin

720 Beatty

Georgia Connects

98 Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard

The Landscape that Preceded the City Resource LandscapeOnly 200 years ago, Vancouver was a towering old-growth forest. It’s easy to forget. The landscape approach at 720 Beatty asks: “How do we remember how we came to be here, what we were? And, in terms of both urban and natural succession – what comes next?” The infill of a void in the existing urban fabric creates the opportunity to create new layers of landscape experience and meaning in the public realm. The proposed landscape brings a series of ‘Forest Regeneration Gardens’ expressing the natural phenomenon of growth and decay, producing generation upon generation of successional forest growth. Several natural icons will anchor the gardens. These are the ‘lost giants’ - trees that are +250 year-old artifacts salvaged from logging production or naturally fallen in the forest. They will become hosts for a series of experimental gardens of aesthetic, ecological and poetic force.

The False Creek area was traditionally used for fishing, harvest-ing and hunting by the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Wau-tuth First Nations for millennia. Each Nation had their own relationship to the area, including their own place names and uses for the lands and resources. In the 1850’s, settlers began to arrive in search of gold, then lumber, and as the immigrant population grew by the 1880s, large-scale forest clearing be-gan. The ancient forests were cut, their stumps dynamited, split and torn from the ground. Fire was used to burn deep into the organic soils. The ancient forests were practically erased, and mostly forgotten by the city, which has sprung up in its place.

Today: North-East False Creek On the verge of transformation

1886 – The Town of Granville is incorporated as the City of Vancouver, population 1000.

Enter the Great Vancouver Forest...Only 200 years ago, Vancouver was a towering old-growth forest.

Not long ago...Memories of a Lumber-Hungry Town

Foresters understand that a rotting tree in the middle of a canopied forest is, in fact, more supportive of biodiversity than a living tree. The 720 Beatty landscape invites the public to appreciate how these natural ‘hosts’ provide the basis for growth and new life out of death and decay. A series of forest regeneration experimental gardens will bring specific dynamics of successional growth to the forefront of public experience on site.

Expressing a Phenomenon of the Forest: Successional Growth Upon Growth Upon...

Thinking ‘Forestry’ as Landscape for Beatty.

Hollow stump at Stanley Park

Coastal Driftwood

Logs & Leisure,Vancouver Beaches

Vancouver Logs & Memory: Contemplating the Ancient Trees that preceeded the City

Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 99

Access and Circulation

Existing Circulation - Stadium Pedestrian Flows

Enhanced Site Permeability - New Pedestrian Flows

Beatty St

Citadel Parade

Stadium-Chinatown Station

Future Bus Stop

Creative Energy

Expo Blvd

Expo Blvd

Terry FoxPlaza

Gate A

Gate B

Gate C

W G

eorgia St

T

T

Gate F

Gat

e G

Gate H

Bottle-Neck Condition

to Beatty Street at Terry Fox Plaza

Pacific Blvd

Gate D

Gate E

Pacific Blvd

View looking West along Georgia St

Stadium-Chinatown Station

Future Bus StopT

Beatty St

Citadel Parade

Expo Blvd

Expo Blvd

Gate A

Gate B

Gate C

T

Gate F

Gat

e G

Gate H

W G

eorgia St

BeattyTerry Fox

Plaza

100 Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard

Landscape

Layers of the Public Realm

1. Mineral/Organic Floor

2. Guided by Light

3. Three Memorable Garden Moments

The fluidity of movement is further expressed with inlaid linear LED in-ground lights integrated into the patterned floor. The density and distribution increases with proximity to the pavilion, drawing visitors along Georgia to the pavilion and heart of the animated plaza. The lights are both an animator of the environment and a guide to movement. The active edge of the site facing Georgia is pronouced and a visual connection is reinforced between the exposed steam pipes adjacent to the streetscape along Georgia and the interior viewing of the plant facing the inner plaza.

A sequence of three garden experiences create a procession from Beatty to Georgia, threading through the site. Each moment offers a forest regeneration experiment expressing the phenomenon of growth and decay. - Sculptural Salvaged Timber Object at Beatty - ‘Lost Giant’ Host Garden at Plaza - Garden of Growth & Decay at Georgia Additionally, the roofscape of the Pavilion includes a terrace landscape with urban agriculture plots.

The resource landscape is expressed with this sculptural floor of crushed stone aggregate, inlaid with a diffuse pattern of timber and gold planks. The pattern reflects the fluidity and smoothness of the architecture and the softness of the site landscape. It gives legible cues for pedestrian movement; the pattern helps to facilitate both intense flows of crowds during peak events, while also encouraging moments of pause for office workers and visitors to linger during typical weekdays.

Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 101

Tree Candidate Species (Island Gardens) Western Red Cedar Thuja plicata Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Red Alder Alnus rubra Paper birch Betula papyrifera Understorey Candidate Species introduce a lush understory featuring a collection of plants native to BC that occur mostly at low to middle elevations in soil enriched by decaying wood and on rotten logs. establish a lush layer of ferns and thick carpet of mosses to anchor the ‘forest floor’ of an emerging plantation of Red Cedars, Hemlock and Douglas Fir. Red Huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium Devil’s Club Oplopanax horridus Diverse Native Ferns and Mosses

Inlaid linear elements, including endgrain timber blocks, timber slabs and gold-tone metal planks, are distributed in a pattern of varying density across the site. They are set within a plaza composed of a resin-bonded stone aggregate surface.

Inlaid linear LED in-ground lights are integrated into the pattern and distributed in close proximity to the pavilion.

102 Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard

Landscape

Layers of the Public Realm

215sqm

300sqm

5. Flexible Program Areas

While the project facilitates unobstructed flows of movement between adjacent streets and the stadium concourse, it also creates places of rest and gathering at its core. Two flexible plaza areas related to the pavilion are intended to host diverse programming. They are situated to support the activation of the Georgia streetscape as well as invigorate the inner plaza and stadium concourse. The dual focus allows for both game-day and typical work-day activations to occur similtaneously.

6. ‘Urban Forest’ Streetscape

To unify the corner of the block as a coherent stadium precinct, a consistent planting of Dawn Redwoods is proposed. Building upon the City of Vancouver’s plans for the re-grading and re-construction of the W Georgia Street Viaduct, the Georgia streetscape is seamlessly extended to become a more generous plaza. Enhance tree plantings continue the cadece of tree planting, set within hardscape conditions. A coordinated approach to the streetscape and plaza will yield a great effect as a gateway experience to Northeast False Creek Distirct.

4. Productive Roof Gardens

The project proposes the implementation of a green roof top the main building and pavilion. This will give the pavilion the appearance of a third landscaped island, especially from above – a common vantage-point from the stadium and surrounding high rise residential buildings.This green roof will be used in part to support an edible landscape, which will in turn provide seasonal herbs, vegetable and fruits to be harvested for use in the restaurant kitchen. The main building roofscape will support biodiversity and increased habitat value through the tree plantation and understory plantings provided.

Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 103

Tree Candidate Species (Georgia and Beatty Streetscape Planting) Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides

The activation of the public realm is a critical aspect of creating new publicly accessible spaces and expanding the pedestrian experience of city streets. Two public squares will be vitalized by the unique overlap between office culture and stadium culture.

The project aims to contribute to an increase in food system assets on-site. A rooftop kitchen garden will support the pavilion restaurant and be used as a demonstration of urban agriculture techniques.

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Exposed Steam Pipes

Flexible Plaza

Flexible Plaza

Gold Plaza

Beatty Street Bike Lane

‘Urban Forest’ Streetscape/Plaza

View to Steam

Existing Stadium Concourse

Timber Benches

Salvage Timber Object at Beatty

‘Lost Giant’ Host Garden and Timber

‘Garden of Grownth & Decay’ at

Georgia

Kitchen Garden

W G

eorg

ia Street

Bike Share

1

2

3

5

4

Salvage Timber Object at Beatty - a meeting place and an invitation into the breezeway

104 Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard

Landscape

Landscape Plans

Plaza Garden and Pavilion Roof Garden: Expressing the Phenomena of Growth and Decay

Beatty ‘Lost Giant’ Garden: A Return of a ‘Lost Giant’ as host for a next generation of growth

1 2 3

Georgia Streetscape/Plaza: Dawn Redwood ‘Expanded Urban Forest’ Plantation

4 5

Organic / Mineral Floor

A Chain of Unexpected Green Elements in the Urban Environment

This project aims to put this natural succession back in our collective consciousness, restoring a missing link to the city’s ‘roots’. A series of large scale landscaped ‘islands’ will show-case giant, salvaged trees from various local and regional sources, highlighting the natural dynamics of forest regener-ation. Once collected and sited, their gradual decay will then support and accelerate new forms of growth, habitat and ecol-ogies. New western red cedar trees (British Columbia’s official provincial tree) will be encouraged to grow up and claim their space, along with Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir, while native ferns and mosses populate the sited fallen specimens below. The public is invited to observe and interact with these living installations, watching as they evolve from season to season, and year to year. The regeneration gardens encourage people to stay and linger, with integrated seating and gathering areas, and to ultimately experience the nature that preceded the city juxtaposed against the city that continues to evolve in its place.

A sequence of three garden experiences create a procession from Beatty to Georgia, threading through the site. Each moment offers a forest regeneration experiment expressing the phenomenon of growth and decay. - Sculptural Timber Object at Beatty - ‘Lost Giant’ Host Garden at Plaza - Garden of Growth & Decay at Georgia Additionally, the roofscape of the Pavilion includes a terrace landscape with urban agriculture plots.

Beatty Street Bike Lane

Existing Stadium Concourse

Rooftop Terrace

Rooftop RunningTrack

Growth& Decay Garden

Ferns Red Alder

& Birch Plantings

Deck Terrace

Kitchen Garden

W G

eorg

ia Street

1

4

2

3

Exposed Steam Pipes

Flexible Plaza

Flexible Plaza

Gold Plaza

‘Urban Forest’ Streetscape/Plaza

View to Steam

Timber Benches

Salvage Timber Object at Beatty

‘Lost Giant’ Host Garden and Timber

‘Garden of Growth & Decay’ at

Georgia

Bike Share

Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 105

Tree Candidate Species (Island Gardens) Western Red Cedar Thuja plicata Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Red Alder Alnus rubra Paper birch Betula papyrifera Understorey Candidate Species Introduce a lush understory featuring a collection of plants native to BC that occur mostly at low to middle elevations in soil enriched by decaying wood and on rotten logs. Establish

Edible Kitchen Garden Supporting the Pavil-ion Restaurant

Rooftop Plantation of Red Alder, Paper Birch, and Ferns

Curvilinear Rooftop Running Track

Pavilion Roof Garden/Terrace of Growth & Decay

A Healthy and Productive / Roofscape Environment

1 2 3 4

+ + +

layer of ferns and thick carpet of mosses to anchor the ‘forest floor’ of an emerging plantation of Red Cedars, Hemlock and Douglas Fir. Red Huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium Devil’s Club Oplopanax horridus Diverse Native Ferns and Mosses Tree Candidate Species (Plaza Planting) Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides

106 Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard

Landscape

Views

Plaza View Looking to ‘Lost Giant’ Host Garden and Timber

West Georgia Frontage View Looking to Dawn Redwood ‘Expanded Urban Forest’

Beatty Street / Expo Boulevard 107

Site Furnishings / Details

Cast glass balustrades are proposed to encircle the ‘Lost Giant’ garden and the ‘Garden of Growth & Decay’, emphasizing the precious quality of the phenomena of the forest and containing them within a sort of garden ‘vitrine’. Detailing of the glass balustrade is proposed to evoke the curvilinear form and textures of a natural red cedar tree.

Consistent with the paving pattern, these solid timber benches appear as extrusions of the groundplane.

Soft, curvilinear form define garden edges and create opportunities to relax within the garden settings.

Inlaid linear elements, including black locust endgrain timber blocks, timber slabs and gold-tone metal planks, are set within a plaza composed of a resin-bonded stone aggre-gate surface.

Flush detail tree planting to facilitate pedestrian flows through the plaza.

Glass Garden Balustrade

Sculptural Timber Garden Edges

Inlaid Organic/Timber Floor

Hardscape Tree Planting

Solid Timber Benches