Manifesto
It was through Vancouver House that we first discovered the word and philosophy behind “gesamtkunstwerk,” and came to the belief that it represents a guiding philosophy for all of our projects, current and future.
We wanted to take the idea of the total work of art to a whole new scale – applying this philosophy to find solutions to complex problems and creating opportunities for enlightened city-building. Today, this concept continues to manifest itself in our projects in new and interesting ways.
If “gesamtkunstwerk” was our first defining philosophy, then Vancouver House is its manifestation. Since we were introduced to the concept and began its creation, Vancouver House has become one of the most watched and studied urban development projects in the world. Seven years in the making, we brought together everything that we learned through dozens of complex projects, with the best design and consultant team that could be assembled. It is now apparent that this cumulative effort has resulted in a giant leap forward – not only from a technical and environmental perspective but by bringing to our country a degree of artistry and of beauty that is unparalleled.
Awarded the World Architecture Festival’s Future Building of the Year in 2015, Vancouver House is among the most successful, innovative and creative projects being done in the world today. The homes in this project sold out in a matter of days and the project has become the catalyst for completely reimagining the surrounding neighbourhood in order to create a new community we call the Beach District.
