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A stylish new addition to Vancouver's office building stock has risen at the corner of Pender and Seymour Streets, a construction process that has been captured every step of the way by Forum contributor mcminsen. Designed by Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership for Serracan Investments, the 10-storey FiveTen Seymour implements a number of interesting design elements that have taken shape over the past year and a half.
By February 2015, scaffolding was erected outside a pair of nondescript two-storey buildings in advance of demolition. By July, the buildings had been completely removed from the site, leaving a blank slate on which crews could begin work on the two underground parking levels.
The tower crane was assembled on August 22, allowing the building to make its skyward ascent. As the winter rolled around, construction began to peek above the ground, giving passersby an idea of how the building would fit within the mid-rise context of the neighbourhood.
One year after hoarding enveloped the property, floor slab construction reached the halfway point. The image below shows the building five storeys in height, while a concrete pumping truck pours the cement mixture that will form another floor slab. Temporary shoring jacks can be seen installed below newly poured slabs to provide stability and support.
A new floor was fabricated approximately every two weeks. Towards the end of March and the beginning of April, the first signs of cladding began installation. The reflective green-tinted glazing is bordered by horizontal strips of opaque spandrel panels.
As more glass was applied, a distinct random pattern of beveled panels and wood highlights became apparent. The concrete structure topped out by the end of April, by which time the exterior skin had reached the fifth floor.
With the removal of the temporary shoring jacks and formwork taking place in May, the project's unobstructed upper concrete innards were on full display until cladding shielded the entire building one month later. The development's latticed roof element also came together in June at the same time the exterior's full architectural expression — a diminishing pattern of slanted glazing and wood accents — could be realized.
Some of the project advertising affixed to the hoarding was removed during the following weeks. The crane was finally disassembled on July 9, marking the completion of most of the building's structural elements. Minor exterior work still remains along with the construction hoarding and elevator hoist, which should both be coming down in the very near future.
Most of the office space has already been leased out, with Adler University occupying much of the lower half of the building. Shoes.com has snagged three floors, while Serracan and Hardy Capital Partners will split the uppermost storey. With retail available at ground level and a spacious rooftop terrace providing amenities for tenants, FiveTen Seymour provides a remarkably urban work environment and packs a lot of punch within a relatively small footprint.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
