Inside Vancouver - October 15, 2022

Rocking for charity: The Urban Development Institute (UDI) hosted the All-Star Jam for a Cause on Sept. 28 at Vancouver’s Mansion Nightclub. A pool of talented leaders from the real estate industry assembled bands to support kids and families living with juvenile arthritis to benefit Cassie and Friends Society, a charity that supports kids and families living with juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases through research, information, connection and support.

Featured bands kept the crowd dancing with hits like Sweet Caroline. The musicians and bands that participated included Damn Chandelier, with UDI’s Ginny Normandeau, and guests Michael Ferreira and Guy Fournier; The Sellouts featuring Daryl Simpson, Derek Bosa, Barry Weih, Pete Ryznar and Brad Ricketts; The Approvals, which included Jon Stovell, Steve Jedreicich, Kenny Dietrich, Pete Ryznar, Joanne Zoleta, Mandy Newton and Andy Carson.

+ Did you know?

EKISTICS Architecture has designed an upcoming multi-family project on Nanaimo Street called the Woodland Block, that will consist of 72 condominium units, ground-floor retail space, and townhouses on the East 10th and East 11th frontages, as well as the laneway.

An Autumn Harvest community event

A ground-breaking ceremony for Aldergrove Town Centre took place Saturday Sept. 8, followed by an Autumn Harvest community event. Hosted by the Janda Group and Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing, the public was invited to take part in the festival, which included music, food trucks, a photo booth, pumpkin painting, games, and local artisanal vendors selling handmade goods. The family-friendly Autumn Harvest community was an opportunity to celebrate Aldergrove’s rich, long agricultural history.

Lock-off suites come to West Coquitlam

The way families live today is different from even a decade ago. For its newest West Coquitlam project, the Robinsons Parkside Collection, Formwerks Boutique Properties is featuring two different lock-off suites where 30 of the 92 homes are separate, legal suites that can be rented.

Last year, the company debuted lock-off suites in a townhome project at The Robinsons, a first for Coquitlam, which proved to be popular. “We’ve come to understand the mechanics of family and the possibilities of home and life should be endless. That’s why we’ve designed versatility into each home, like with our lock-off suites,” says Formwerks’ founder, Jim Bussey. “With a separate entrance, appliances and a bathroom, lock-off suites can be used for rental income, multi-generational family members, or for a home-based business.”

Being active about Passive House design

Shaun St. Amour, vice-president of operations for Clay Construction Inc., is on a mission to educate the next generation about the benefits of Passive House design. Every week, people can tune into his YouTube videos and watch him discuss cover topics such as the history and principles of Passive House design and the first Passive House, as well as see hands-on educational experiments. St. Amour says he wants to empower architects and builders on how to design and build better homes and buildings. A Passive House is designed to be extremely energy-efficient, reducing the amount of power needed to heat or cool, creating homes that are airtight and super insulated, with very little heat loss.