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Bold design and smart planning are shaping Chilliwack’s most vibrant new community.
Step inside the vision of Andmar, Chilliwack’s most talked-about new community, in this dynamic episode of Behind the Design. Host Jennifer-Lee is joined by VP of Operations Tracey Klaver and architect David Cheung to reveal how bold design, smart planning, and a passion for community are shaping a walkable, mixed-use lifestyle destination. From stunning architecture that blends Art Deco and West Coast flair to thoughtfully designed floor plans and vibrant retail spaces, this episode showcases how Andmar is redefining what it means to live, work, and play—all in one place. If you're dreaming of a home where connection, convenience, and character come standard, you won’t want to miss this.
Connect:
Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (01:12) - What Does an Architect Really Do?
- (02:51) - The Power of Team Collaboration
- (04:06) - Building the Vision of Andmar
- (05:10) - Translating Vision into Design
- (07:12) - Buildings and a Community Hub
- (07:45) - Designing for Flexibility & Speed
- (09:43) - Blending Styles: Art Deco Meets West Coast
- (11:20) - A City, Not a Complex
- (13:25) - Designing Floor Plans That Fit Real Life
- (17:30) - Interior Palettes for Every Taste
- (19:22) - Favorite Layouts
- (21:19) - Commercial Vision & Family Focus
- (23:40) - Prioritizing Walkability & Underground Parking
- (25:53) - Why Andmar Is the Place to Be
- (27:32) - Favorite Design Elements
- (30:22) - Conclusion
Creators and Guests
Host
Guest
Tracey Klaver
Sales Director and VP of Operations at Andmark Properties
What is Behind the Design: Yaletown to Andmar?
What does it take to transform a neighbourhood into a vibrant, thriving community? In this series, we uncover the vision, strategy, and innovation behind Andmar, drawing inspiration from Yaletown’s evolution. Join experts, local leaders, and residents as we explore smart urban planning, sustainability, and the future of community living in Chilliwack.
Welcome to Behind the Design
from Yaletown to Andmar.
This new podcast is gonna
follow the journey of the new
development Andmar inspired by
Vancouver's, Yaletown's history.
Andmar blends sustainability,
innovation, and luxury.
We have so many conversations about how a
development like Andmar gets built, what
is lease land and what is it gonna be
like to live in this thriving community?
So let's get started.
Welcome back to Behind the
Design from Yaletown to Andmar.
I'm Jennifer-Lee and we
have Tracey Klaver back on.
She is the VP of operations for Andmar.
She keeps the whole development
team and Mark in line.
And we have David Cheung on as well.
He's partner in the architecture firm,
Gustavson Wylie, and he is also one
of the project managers for Andmar.
So we're gonna pick his brain today about
the aesthetic of Andmar, how it came to
be, and really what does an architect do?
A lot of people don't know.
They just think they build
beautiful buildings, but
there's so much more to that.
How does a development
like Andmar come alive.
We've got it all covered
in this next episode.
So I'm gonna start with
a tough question, David.
What is the misconception that
you get the most as an architect?
Oh, well that's a very good question,
Jennifer-Lee and the problem, I think,
is that the general public often doesn't
quite really know what an architect does.
Um, obviously we design and, uh, we
take instructions from our client
and we try to come up with, uh, a
lot of different ideas for them.
But, uh, a big part of our job actually
is, uh, to be the quarterback and to
coordinate a whole team of consultants.
We have structural, mechanical,
electrical, uh, civil,
geotechnical, envelope, you name it.
Um, uh, it's, it's, uh, uh,
uh, quite an incredible team.
And every one of these, uh,
consulting firms, uh, they
contribute to our projects.
And the architect is sort of at that, uh,
the, uh, sort of, uh, the coordinating
professional in that, uh, we, we're the
ones who become the design authority.
And, and for every part of the,
the, the project that, uh, we
have to, uh, uh, look into, we
coordinate all of those consultants.
So, uh, that's, uh, that's one of the
things I think the, uh, general public
doesn't quite understand that we do.
They, they often see us, oh,
here's the building, and, and
this was the architect for it.
And yes, we, we might've, uh, been
the one that, you know, did up all the
drawings and, and, uh, uh, uh, and,
and came up with these renderings or
sketches, but ultimately it's also
the owner who plays a big role in that
because at the end we are, we're really
almost like a little piano player.
Uh, we take cues from the owner
and, and they're the ones who,
who gives us the inspiration.
You are so important.
It's fine because my family's
background is construction.
And this is such a big misconception,
but everybody always thinks
the architect is the one that
makes the money on the project.
They're like, always, like, it's the
architect top and then the builder.
But that's not the case.
And in the case of the developer, Tracey,
uh, a lot of people think too that it's
the developer that takes the credit, uh,
for the architect, but it's not true.
You guys are all a team.
And what does it mean to have
a team, uh, like David's,
uh, on a project like Andmar?
Well, uh, well, I think it's, uh,
it's all about great communication
because there's a lot of, uh,
coordinating that needs to be done.
So when we, um, you know, really closely
work as a team, um, follow up, you
know, put, put, uh, you know, meetings
together, get the consultants, get
things out on the table, come up with,
um, you know, there's, there's always
gonna be little, um, things along the way
that needs, um, some addressing, right?
We need to like, figure out solutions
and, um, so, um, yeah, as, as far as
GWA goes, uh, you know, I love working
with, um, each and every one of them,
um, because of, you know, I think the
great line of communication that we have.
So, Tracey, when you wanna bring
the development like Andmar to
life, what is the first step?
Well, the first step, Jennifer,
is to, um, to create that vision.
Um, and that comes, you
know, from the owner.
Um, Mark Perry, um, one of the
co-owners of Andmar, uh, did a lot
of traveling, um, a lot of research.
He really put his heart
and soul into this.
It is a, Andmar is a very
much a legacy, um, project for
our development, uh, company.
And, uh, so, you know, he traveled
to Barcelona and went to an expo on
sustainability, building, you know, small
cities and um, that kind of a thing.
Everything in walkability distance.
Having that mixed use was very important.
Um, we have a beautiful piece
of property in prime location
in Sardis, in Chilliwack.
So, um, you know, that started with that
vision of, of creating that city center,
um, putting the pieces together of, you
know, what that overall look is gonna be.
Um, and then bringing it to the
architects to make it come to life.
And then David, how do you take their
vision and bring it to life afterwards?
It's, uh, really about, uh,
understanding your client and
getting to know them very, very well.
So I had the, uh, the honor of
meeting, uh, Mark actually when
I was just completing the, uh,
Chilliwack City Hall addition.
And, um, I met him actually
at the, uh, Earls, uh, out in
Chilliwack there by Highway One.
And the first time I met him, I was
just so impressed, uh, by, uh, the
world, the worldviews that Mark had.
But in particular, he was really into
planning and he, he referred often to,
uh, a gentleman by the name of Jeff Speck,
who happens to be quite a, a well renowned
planner, uh, in, in the US, United States.
Um, and, uh, so because I have an
urban geography planning background,
uh, I, I, I was kind of, uh,
educated, uh, with the teachings of
uh, uh, Jane Jacobs for instance.
And, and so Mark, and Mark and I
kind of hit it off 'cause we both
were talking about similar things.
Uh, for Andmar it's quite a different
development in that we're not just
creating a building, uh, with a program.
Uh, this one here is really, uh,
unique in that, uh, it's really a city
and it's more of a lifestyle center.
So after getting to know Mark
really, really well, um, you know,
it was, uh, it was, uh, uh, exciting
to see how we can contribute.
Now, unfortunately, uh, the
master plan wasn't, uh, uh,
developed by Gustavson Wylie.
It was designed by a firm, uh,
called Station One Architects.
Uh, Mark had reached out to them
initially, and, but he, as we start to
look at this project, he decided that he
would, uh, um, phase it out and, uh, to
let other architects participate in it.
And we were fortunate enough
to, uh, have won the, uh, the
second phase of the project.
And ultimately we, we were able to
convince, uh, the, the development
team that, uh, we would be the
right choice for the entire project.
So we're able to actually help, uh, um.
Andrew, Mark and Tracey realize,
you know, uh, 11 buildings
on this particular property.
Yeah.
And how many buildings are
eventually gonna happen in Andmar?
Uh, well, like I said, there's,
there's, uh, about, uh, uh, 11
that's gonna be, uh, habitable with,
uh, a residential on, on, on top.
Uh, but, uh, the 12th building is actually
intended to be a, uh, community center.
Uh, we've had multiple plans, uh,
on that particular project and,
uh, when that, when that building
finally, um, uh, becomes reality,
I think, uh, it will really set
this particular development apart.
When you're building in phases
like that, what do you have
to be mindful as an architect?
Because things change, obviously
cost changes because time goes
by and different, uh, materials
start to cause more money.
Do the plans ever change
of what things look like?
Or is it pretty set in stone from
the very beginning of like, this is
how many buildings we're gonna have?
This is the aesthetic.
This is what they're gonna
look like and this is where
they're gonna be exactly placed.
Uh, well, and, and that's where
the master plan certainly helps us.
Uh, a project of this size, however,
uh, it does, it does need to, uh, be
phased, uh, because ultimately, uh,
you could have multiple contractors
work on, work on a project.
Uh, in this case, however, uh, Tribrink
is, uh, the general contractor for the
site and they've, uh, like us, I've been
fortunate in that, uh, they're able to
carry on with most of the development.
So, uh, we work actually quite closely
with, uh, Tribrink, uh, when it comes
to phasing and that type of thing.
But what I would probably say that's,
what's unique about Andmar, which is
almost quite different from any other
author, uh, jurisdiction that we might
be working in is that, uh, because
this is First Nations land, uh, under
the Tzeachten, they don't necessarily
have, uh, a building permit process.
They have a development permit and, uh,
and that's really their, uh, uh, their
way of, uh, regulating what, what's
allowed to be built and not, not be built.
So when it comes to the actual, uh.
Uh, occupancy of the buildings,
that type of thing, uh, it is
actually all on, uh, the architects.
So we have to, uh, sort of exercise
our standard duty of care, uh, to,
to ensure that, uh, each of the
buildings are in fact developed to
how, uh, what's what's expected of,
of any architect in, in doing so.
And that's probably also what makes it,
uh, this project that unique because
if it was in any other location, you
would not be able to develop this
thing as quickly as we are right now.
See a lot of people don't realize
that there's a lot more steps
to architecture than you think.
And something that a lot of people
love talking about, of course, is
the different influences and the sexy
part, which of course is the design.
So I know that these particular buildings
are Art Deco with West Coast influences,
so how do you balance those two styles?
Yeah, and that's an amazing question
because obviously I, I, I've noticed,
obviously you have some, uh, building
background because Art Deco is, uh,
uh, a style that's, uh, been around,
uh, probably in the early 19 hundreds.
And, uh, uh, our, our particular design
for, uh, uh, Andmar, however, is I
would say it's probably more eclectic.
It's got some Art Deco, it's got,
uh, west Coast, but it's probably
also have a lot of craftsmen.
It's got, uh, postmodern, it's got
modern, uh, late century, uh, uh, modern.
Uh, there's a whole, whole series of, uh,
style, different style, including, uh, the
vernacular and even First Nation that, uh,
we're, we're being able to realize here.
Uh, but what drives it all actually
comes from, uh, the, uh, the, the
developer, uh, Mark Perry in particular.
Uh, his vision had always been that,
uh, if you were a resident, uh, in
this development and, uh, uh, you
were walking, uh, a neighbor or a
visitor around, who, uh, could you
point out exactly where, which, which
building, uh, or which area you live in?
And, and that's one of the reasons
why there's so many different
styles, uh, for, for Andmar.
And it's really just to help,
uh, the residents there navigate,
uh, this very large property.
Tracey, what are some of your favorite
elements of the design so far that
you've seen in the renderings?
Well, it's, it's, yeah, it's
aesthetically, it's so beautiful,
um, having the different, um,
sections of the buildings.
It, it's not just such a overwhelming, you
know, big stacks of buildings, um, when
you're, when you're looking around it, it
has a lot of character, uh, to the design.
And, um, so that, that was, uh, very
intentional, um, because it looks
like it's been built over time.
And David and I were
speaking about that earlier.
Um, you know, just how in, in, you
know, other countries, uh, obviously
we're so young here that, you know,
there buildings aren't that old, right.
But there are other areas, uh, that
the, the buildings have been built over
time and, and it's just so visually,
um, exciting to see different styles of
architectures joined together, right?
So I think with Andmar, I love that, um,
that we have that look of, um, you know,
distinct styles, um, that are, you know,
a combination of, of different things.
And, and then ending up
is like a small city.
So it's not just like, you know,
a complex, it's, it's, uh, it
looks more like a well-designed
and planned little city.
And I like the fact too that there's
like a cohesive element because you
are gonna eventually have 11 buildings.
So you wanna make sure that when
people drive by, they're like,
oh, that's the Andmar development.
You don't want it to look
very like hodgepodge and
everything's throwing together.
You want it to look like a cool, thriving,
You drive by, they always comment because
our on, um, Andmar one, it's, um, visual
to Promontory Road, and when you drive by,
you see this round corner of the building,
which is very unusual, which then lends
to like a pretty incredible floor plan.
Uh, it's just in, you know, when
you walk in and see that round, you
know, visual in the living room, it's
just, um, there's nothing like it.
It, it's, it's pretty cool.
Let's talk about the floor plans for a
second, because I've had someone that
has bought a condo out here before,
Greg's son, and he was really excited
about the floor plans, and so I wanted
to talk to you about like, how do
you guys decide on the floor plans?
Like if you're have a one
bedroom or a two bedroom.
And how are you kind of getting
into the mindset of people like
are gonna live there, like where
the kitchen is or the living room?
I'm always intrigued by that because,
you know, I would try to dry my, draw
my own room on a piece of paper, but I
don't think it would be very practical.
Well, um, I guess I could take that
question, um, and just start out by
saying, you know, we've, we've, we've
built a lot of condos in Chilliwack
already, and, um, we did Inglewood, uh,
Courtyard, so there's three buildings,
136 units, and then Sky Nests down the
street with a total of, um, 98 units.
So, um, eventually really learn
what, what works, what's, you know,
a, what people are looking for.
Um, you know, what the really important,
um, elements of a good floor plan are.
Um, you know, as well as we
really always like to include
a work from home situation.
You know, there's gotta be an area
that somebody can set up a desk and a
computer and, you know, this new trend
of, you know, work from home really
lends itself to our theme of Andmar
being, you know, live, work, and play.
Um, so we really like to incorporate
that element of working from
home in our, in our floor plans.
Um, also, you know,
kitchens are very important.
So, you know, we, over the time you
always get the same comments of, you know,
we have drawers with recycling, right?
Um, you know, in your cabinetry
and, um, you know, if there's room
a, a floating island that is, um,
you know, set up for functionality.
So, what do you say, Dave?
Yeah.
Yeah.
David, what's your opinion?
Actually, uh, uh, Tracey hit
the nail on the head there.
Uh, what we do actually, we,
we create programs and we
create function requirements.
And what that is, is that, uh,
we, we get input from the, uh, the
owner, uh, usually based on, uh,
what works for their pro forma.
'Cause obviously, uh, you know, we
don't, we don't design, uh, we don't
build so that, uh, the owner isn't gonna
make a profit out of it, obviously.
We wanna make sure that, uh, uh, the
types of, of, uh, the units, a number
of units, the, the variations of
them is going to meet, uh, um, what
their targets are for, for how they
see the, uh, the development working.
So at the end of the day, uh, what we
end up doing is, uh, we'll, we'll look
at the, uh, the building floor plates
and we'll look at, uh, how many studios,
one bedroom, two bedrooms, or maybe
even three bedrooms the owner may want.
And we'll try to, uh, divide it all up.
We'll, we'll do our best to, uh,
come up with, uh, uh, you know,
the various different, uh, plans
that, uh, we think would work.
But I could tell you in, in this type
of scenario where, uh, these are market
driven, uh, we actually, the architect,
uh, we really are, uh, uh, we, we really
rely on someone like Tracey to tell us
what are the owners really interested in.
So we'll come up with a plan, but
Tracey normally has other, uh, interior
consultants, for instance, who pour
through our plan and try to make
it a little, a lot more efficient.
And, and I think we've been
doing that for, for, um, a number
of our buildings over here.
And I would say for the, for the
better because sometimes, you know, um.
Tracey will know that the market wants
to see wraparound balconies, uh, for
instance, uh, of the, and, and maybe
the market wants larger balconies.
'Cause, uh, this particular, uh, uh,
clientele, uh, they're gonna demand
that because they, they have more of
a, uh, outdoor lifestyle, for instance.
Uh, and because we work, you know, all
over, all over the province, uh, we
may not necessarily know exactly what
Chilliwack wants, but Tracey does.
So that's, uh, so it's very important
that we have that, uh, collaboration.
Okay.
So when we look at presales, the exciting
part of it is you get to pick your theme
inside, and there's so many different
design themes and different condos.
So how do you go about like, figuring out
what are the different palettes for the
different type of units you're gonna sell?
Well, Jen, I think with, um, a project
like Andmar, it's, it is a, a very
large project and um, so I think we have
something there for everyone, right?
Um, getting back to the decks, um, we do
have some of the condos that just have a,
a small Juliet, um, it's not even a deck.
You just, you know, open up and, and
get some fresh air, um, which adds more
square footage to your unit, right?
So it's either, you know, you go, go
for the option with the deck, um, and
have, in some floor plans, lesser square
footage or, you know, with this Juliet,
and that extends your living room.
Um, so, you know, there
could be preference.
Some people feel that they're not
even gonna use the deck, so they'd
rather have that bigger floor plan.
Um, but when it comes to the, um, to
the, to, to the color boards, we really
wanted to appeal to, um, a number of,
you know, a variety of, of choices.
So, you know, we have a, a modern and a
traditional, we call it a transitional
'cause it's not fully traditional.
Um, so there's a modern light and
dark, and the transitional has
more of that traditional look.
Some people don't like that flat,
modern, they want the raised, um,
you know, shaker style cabinet.
So I think that there's
something there for everyone.
And, um, you know that that has actually
been proving to be very successful.
I see that there is a bit of a,
a 50/50 ratio when it comes to
like, oh, I love that modern, or,
you know, oh, that's not for me.
I'm really happy that you have
that traditional style as well.
David, do you have a favorite, uh, layout?
Actually, I do.
Uh, and I think their two bedrooms,
uh, work the best because, uh, the, the
thing that we try to do, um, uh, whenever
possible is to separate the bedrooms.
So you, you'll have a primary bedroom, uh,
and you'll have a secondary bedroom, but
you really don't want them to be together.
So, our favorite layout, uh, it's
anywhere from, from around, you know,
a 1000 square feet to 1300 perhaps.
And, and you've got this beautiful,
uh, entryway where you, you, your
kitchen's just right off to the side.
You can, you can walk right
in, uh, open up to a pantry.
You could actually, uh, put all your, your
things away and then you can, you can,
uh, uh, look, look out the, the island
that you have there into this, uh, the
view usually of the living room and, and,
and of the mountain surroundings that
are, that are actually, uh, in Andmar.
That's actually one of the, the more
unique aspects of, of this particular
property, uh, is that, uh, you know,
the interiors, uh, it is, it, it
responds really, really well to the
site because we have commercial all
on the ground floor, at least for
the city portion of, of this project.
Um, and, uh, when you're on
the second floor, you're.
Elevated.
And because this particular part
of Chilliwack is very unique.
It's, it's in a bit of a valley,
but you are literally surrounded
by mountains all, all around.
And it doesn't matter which unit
you have, you are gonna see that and
it changes throughout the season.
And, and, and even though, um, uh, you
know, we've got these beautiful marketing
packages and stuff like that, that
connection between the in interior and
the exterior, uh, I think you're really
gonna, uh, realize that at Andmar, uh,
especially if you're, you know, the
second level, you're gonna see that.
But these, most of
these are all 6 stories.
And, and the, the people on, on the
fifth and the sixth floor, they're
really gonna have that real connection.
It's gonna make you feel like,
uh, you know, you're, you're
living within the mountains.
I love that.
That's so that, that you sold it
to me right there, because you
wake up, have your coffee on your
balcony, or even a Juliet balcony.
Just have a little bit of fresh air,
window crack through, that little breeze.
See, I, I'm already picturing it.
Uh, for all the commercial retail.
You guys got a lot of
commercial space there.
What type of businesses
are you trying to attract?
And David, how does that work
when you're trying to, uh, devise
like a plan for the development?
Like coming up with like the, all
the aesthetics and stuff, like how
do you figure out where everything's
gonna fit for the commercial space?
Uh, well again, it starts with the
program and the functional requirements.
Uh, we'll normally sort of, uh, iron
that out, let the owner know, you
know, this is what we can provide.
Uh, but, uh, like when I first
started our conversations, uh,
you know, we're not, the architect
isn't just a single individual.
We're working with a lot
of, uh, other consultants.
Uh, from the leasing side, there are
a lot of brokers that are involved
and, uh, um, Andrew, Mark and Tracey,
they're working with, uh, um, a leasing,
uh, brokers right now that will go to
the market and, uh, they'll dictate,
uh, they'll write up, uh, uh, leasing
agreements on, on, uh, potential,
um, uh, tenants that may fit in here.
Uh, but I think because this
particular development is really, uh.
It's, uh, for the most
part it is family oriented.
We're gonna have a, a, a, a major, in
addition to the grocery store, a major,
uh, child, childcare component, uh,
is actually gonna be on Andmar five.
It's taken up, uh, two floors.
Uh, it'll, it'll have a capacity of
about, at least about 150, uh, uh,
children, uh, with a rooftop play area.
Uh, that particular commercial
aspect might, might attract, you
know, like a pet store, maybe, uh,
like children's, uh, clothing, uh,
could attract, uh, uh, a dentist or a
doctor, uh, a walk clinic per, perhaps.
Uh, but at the same time we we're
also looking to see, uh, uh, if we
can get banks, if we can get, uh,
quick service restaurants, uh, if
we can get a brew pub, uh, if we can
get a more higher end restaurant.
Uh, uh, and so it's really a mix.
There's gonna be a lot for, for, for
families, but I think, uh, because this
is intended to be, uh, a mixed income,
uh, uh, development, uh, a lot of other
activities for, uh, uh, adults as well.
Great.
And the other thing that I know is
near and dear to Mark's heart is, and
we've talked about on this podcast
before, is making it a walkable city.
And making it so you can just go down
and like, walk around and, and, or bike.
He says, get a bike.
What, how do you, uh, fit that as
the architect to like, make sure that
it feels, got that walkable, easy
vibe that you can like bike around?
Well, that's, uh, what's so unique
about this project and about
this developer in particular.
Uh, most developers, uh, actually
don't like to talk about that, don't
like to talk about open spaces,
and if they could build, uh, on
there instead, uh, they rather.
And this is what, uh,
really struck me about Mark.
Uh, he was really into it.
He, he, he want, uh, you know,
I mentioned about Jeff Speck
and Jane, uh, Jane Jacobs.
Um, he's really into, uh, urban planning
and, and what makes a good development.
And if it's not walkable, uh, and,
and, and I, I truly believe why,
this is one of the reasons why he
ended up, uh, creating a city per se.
Because, because at this moment in time,
if you are living in other areas of
Chlliwack at the outskirt to, to go from
point A to point B, you are driving.
Andmar though has one of the
largest, uh, and one of the few
underground parking in most of the
developments in, in, in Chilliwack.
And so, uh, the biggest draw for
this particular development is
to underground all the parking.
Uh, we do certainly have some
surface parking and, uh, as
one of the criteria for, uh.
Uh, the, the grocery store there, they,
they wanted more surface parking there.
Uh, and, and that ultimately
was, was, was provided to them.
Uh, but, uh, but when you look at, uh,
our, our, uh, site plan, you'll notice
that, um, there, there's actually quite
limited in terms of, uh, parking that you
could park next to the building, per se.
Most of the parking is
actually gonna be underground.
And that opens us up for a lot of,
uh, pedestrian connections, uh, not
just within Andmar, but you're gonna
be able to be, have connections to the
elementary school that's right next
to us and to the high school that,
uh, and park that's also next to us.
So, um, again, uh, uh, quite,
uh, uh, um, amazing, uh,
development to, to say the least.
I like that.
I never thought about putting all the cars
underground because I know that that's
one thing Mark stressed on this too.
We're not trying to take your car away,
but it's trying to give us more options
of people being able to walk or like
even for the people living Andmar, he
wanted them to be able to just pop down,
grab the milk, grab the groceries, not
have to get in the car and drive away.
So I think what you guys are
doing is, uh, pretty impressive.
So one more question for each of you.
What is something that you
would tell somebody who's
thinking about moving to Andmar?
Well,
good question.
Um, that's, uh, it's, you know, it's
a very vibrant, exciting place to be.
If, if I'm gonna invest in a
condo, I wanna be in Andmar.
It's the talk of the town and it
will stand, uh, to be, you know,
ultimately we've got 10 acres.
This is the, the major
city center of, of Sardis.
So, um, definitely if you're in the market
for a condo, this is the place to be.
And, and I would say that, uh,
this is really a lifestyle center.
Um, you are, you are moving here because,
uh, you recognize, uh, the sophistication,
uh, you recognize the independence,
that you'll, you'll be able to, uh, uh,
to, uh, uh, to get out of this project.
Uh, it's, it's gonna be worry free.
You know, you don't have to worry about
driving from one point to the other.
You're, you're gonna be safe
at home and you can just walk
downstairs to, to go somewhere.
So, uh, it's, uh, a very informed site.
Uh, we've, we've got, uh, a
wonderful development team who really
understands the Chilliwack market.
And, um, and I think, uh, that's,
uh, that's really what sets this
particular development apart.
And working on this project, David,
as one of the lead architects, what is
your favorite part of the design so far?
Oh, you know, um, there are so
many because, uh, this really
is like 11 different projects.
Um,
You can only pick one design from it.
Yeah.
Well, probably the community hub
if, uh, uh, there's, there, there's
also a hotel that's, uh, potentially
that could go in here as well.
But the community hub, I, I would
say that that's really what's gonna
tie the whole project together.
Uh, if, if you've interviewed Mark
already, he might've mentioned
something about, uh, you know, he, he
really sees, uh, sort of these artist
studio, uh, uh, a cafe or a brew pub.
Uh, but what's neat about this particular,
uh, community hub is that it, it, it
fronts, uh, of, of fairly large open area.
And that open area is going to
be, um, available for, uh, uh,
musicians and artists to do live
performances and that type of thing.
Uh, and uh, so, you know, our vision is,
you know, there's gonna be string lights,
uh, that's put a, uh, across there.
Uh, you're gonna be able to, uh, uh,
have, have family outings and, and
be able to have a cup of coffee or
if you wanna, if you want a drink or
something like that, you can go there.
Uh, it's, it's also gonna be a place
where, uh, you might be able to have some
remote work done, a little, little bit of
office, uh, uh, and, uh, fitness center.
Uh, I think that particular
building is really gonna tie, tie
this whole development together.
And so, um, um, I, I would say that,
uh, it doesn't matter where you live,
whether you live on the smaller side
condos, uh, which is what they're
calling the city, or you live more
the adult oriented communities,
uh, uh, which is the buildings, the
south, uh, because those are all, for
the most part, uh, all residential.
There's no, there's no
commercial underneath there.
That community hub is really gonna pull
everything together, and it's also gonna
be the most unique in terms of the design.
That's so exciting.
I can picture it already.
And, uh, Tracey, do you have a
favorite part so far of Andmar?
Yeah, I do actually.
And it, and it will be
that, uh, community area.
Um, we're gonna have that area that
is, um, pedestrian only, uh, no cars.
Um, we'd love to implement,
um, maybe like a night market,
uh, something to that effect.
There'll be the area
there to lay all that out.
Maybe have, you know, a yoga
studio in there that might
do some outdoor, uh, yoga.
Um, you know, so bringing the
community together, um, you know,
getting a coffee, sitting outside,
getting some fresh air, talking to
your neighbor, that kind of a thing.
So I think it's connectivity that
is, um, that is really gonna be
enhanced in this type of development.
That's something that keeps coming up
in this podcast and I, I truly believe
this in any type of development is,
even if you're in a house, community
is what people are craving nowadays.
And we've lost that sense of community
and now we're starting to get it back and
I think Andmar is a great place to start.
So thank you so much for
joining us today on the podcast.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me, yeah.
Thank you for joining us on Behind
the Design, from Yaletown to Andmar.
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