The Duke Housing, In recent years, the City of Vancouver introduced housing policies to address current and future needs for housing affordability and choice in the ever-evolving urban environment. The new policies allow strategically located sites to be rezoned to permit greater height and density in exchange for developers committing to provide and operate rental housing for a period of 60 years or for the life of the building. The Duke responds to these challenges with a new rental building typology inspired by precedents from the UK. The Duke is a 14-storey mixed-use development with 12-storeys of residential rental accommodation located above a two-storey commercial podium. The unit mix comprises 25% two-bedroom family units with one-bedroom and studio units making up the balance.
© Michael Elkan
To achieve economic viability as a rental development, the project had to achieve a relatively high density within a 14-storey height limit imposed by the City. Use of a typical double-loaded corridor form of development set back from the lot lines could not realize the density required for economic viability. To achieve the required density, the living units are pushed out to the lot lines, thereby accommodating a greater number of units on the site. Positioning the units at the perimeter of the site created a figure/ground plan configuration with a void at the centre that was developed as a soaring open-air circulation space to access the units. A high-tensile steel and Teflon membrane structure is suspended above the open-air atrium to protect the space from the elements, with portions extending past the void to shelter portions of the extensive rooftop communal terrace.
© Michael Elkan
The trapezoidal shape of the site creates a dynamic spatial quality to the atrium that is further enhanced through the play of multi-coloured entrance doors against a backdrop of white finish surfaces. A narrow, vertical south-facing slot provides glimpses into and out of the atrium space; while an 18-metre high, pink-coloured hanging art installation washes shafts of coloured light into the brilliant white atrium. Three communal outdoor landscaped terraces span the sunlit slot to stimulate impromptu social interactions between residents. Two amenity rooms are located on the uppermost floors with direct stair access to the rooftop terrace amenities that includes a children’s play zone, urban agriculture, a dog-friendly space, and social seating with a barbeque area.
© Michael Elkan
The rental units are oriented outward, with a staggered elevational treatment that reflects the shifting nature of the traffic pattern passing by on the adjacent arterial thoroughfare. The building has a robust character and quality that features masonry cladding with steel and glass finishes. Studio units have shallow ‘Juliet’ balconies, while larger family units feature larger projecting balconies. The overwhelmingly positive response from residents suggest that The Duke may have set an important precedent – one likely to be followed by many future developments in Vancouver.
Project Info
Architects: Acton Ostry Architects
Country: Canada, Vancouver
Area: 15263 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Michael Elkan
Manufacturers Tremco, Basalite Concrete Products, Concorde Glazing Systems, Fero, PTFE Teflon, Starline Windows: Tremco
Design Team: Alan Davis, Stewart Child, Michael Fugeta, Samantha Patterson, Thomas Rooksby, Bob Sumpter, Sergei Vakhrameev, Kim Winston
Lead Architects: Russell Acton, Mark Ostry
Structural: Read Jones Christoffersen
Interiors: Bobs Your Uncle Design Inc.
Landscape: Durante Kreuk Landscape Architects
Electrical: MCW Consultants Ltd.
Mechanical: Rocky Point Engineering Ltd.
Sophie Tremblay is a Montreal-based architectural editor and designer with a focus on sustainable urban development. A McGill University architecture graduate, she began her career in adaptive reuse, blending modern design with historical structures. As a Project Editor at Arch2O, she curates stories that connect traditional practice with forward-thinking design. Her writing highlights architecture's role in community engagement and social impact. Sophie has contributed to Canadian Architect and continues to collaborate with local studios on community-driven projects throughout Quebec, maintaining a hands-on approach that informs both her design sensibility and editorial perspective.