Situated in the heart of downtown Vancouver, this mixed-use development combines The Butterfly—a new 57-storey luxury market tower—with the heritage upgrade, rehabilitation, and expansion of the historic First Baptist Church (FBC), built in 1911. Proposing novel, more permeable boundaries between indoor and outdoor, private and public, the project seeks to foster community spirit through integrated forms of social and environmental sustainability.

The Butterfly tower’s dynamic, cloud-like form establishes a bold new landmark for Vancouver’s skyline and a unique urban dialogue with the heritage of the site. The sculpted façade comprises an innovative assembly of insulated Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete panels that that both curve in plan and project in elevation, high performance glazing, and wide spanning balconies. Inspired by the church’s pipe organ motifs, the parabolic chamfers of the tower’s base honour the historic FBC.

Addressing the social barriers commonly associated with high-rise living, the Butterfly features unique semi-private garden courts on each level; these shape front porches that break down the scale of the vertical community and encourage the formation of sub-communities within the larger strata. The shared 'Sky
Gardens' reconnect users with nature high above the ground plane while promoting friendly interactions.

The Sky Gardens are designed to stimulate the senses through an emphasis on natural air, light, and materials. Deciduous trees, rooted in custom-designed planters on every third level breezeway, grow upward to green the levels above, providing connection to nature and the changing seasons. A bench sculpted into the planter’s base offers a perch for residents to connect and enjoy views across the city.
In addition, the Sky Gardens provide environmental benefits by way of natural cooling, ventilation, and daylighting, enhancing occupant comfort and reducing overall energy demands when compared to conventional enclosed corridors.

The Butterfly’s amenity pool presents a striking two-lane, 50-metre Olympic-size, triple-glazed swimming pool that bridges the podium roof and the tower’s main amenity space. It took just one month to install all 36 high-performance, modular prefabricated structural ribs—147 precast concrete sections transported by truck and craned onto their 5th level perch. In addition to supporting the pool’s glass enclosure, the ribs are integrated with acoustic panels, as well as mechanical air supply and electrical conduit for the pool lighting, routed through a chase-way notched into each rib.

The tower’s podium level, galleria and parkade are closely integrated with the heritage building. The retention and expansion of this historic facility will ensure the continuity and augmentation of much-needed community support including counselling, childcare services, multi-purpose spaces, a gymnasium, and meals and emergency shelter for those experiencing houselessness. The project’s mid-rise affordable rental/social housing building offers communal social spaces via its rooftop gardens, encouraging friendships among its residents with a mix of community gardens, outdoor kitchen, and landscaped playgrounds.

Currently under construction, the entirety of the project is designed to LEED Gold standards.