The Water Fall Building

The Waterfall Building

Only a few hundred meters away from my own flat there lies the iconic Waterfall Building. I love the stripped down, simple, and elegantly open concept of this building.

It maximizes natural light and provides a holistic feel through its courtyard connection of shops, art galleries and lofts. Its appeal is also due to its simple color scheme which perfectly blends into the West Coast palette of lush greenery and faded watercolors.

While I have not been able to visit the lofts or  rooftop it is clear that this building is on my all time favorite list of Bauhaus-inspired modern living. It is apparent to the eye that this building was conceived with “openness” in mind. This was splendidly achieved through four major blocks and a central courtyard which houses both a gallery space as well as, you guessed, a waterfall that falls from the ceiling of one of the loft blocks. The building has a solid feel to it with steel, concrete and large window panels.

As the  Arthur Erickson website states

“The studios are broken into four major blocks that take into account the slope of the site and help to define the inner courtyard. They are based on an interlocking unit plan that allows every studio to have a 16-foot high clear space and exposure in two directions, either north/south or east-west giving every studio natural through-ventilation. The 16-foot high section of the studio is fully glazed with sliding doors that open to French balconies.

The construction of the studios is sandblasted concrete that is left exposed on the interiors. The finishes are robust: galvanized steel, stainless steel, steel mesh and concrete. The floors have radiant heating installed under a polished concrete topping. There is a large 65-foot opening between the street and the inner courtyard.

The underside of the opening is curved with a 40-foot long curtain of water which flows from the centre of the curve into a large reflecting pool underneath. This “waterfall” helps to buffer street noise from the courtyard and bounce light up into the opening, making it more welcoming. Directly across from the opening, there is a large glazed wedge-shaped art gallery that is landscaped with white roses tumbling down the sides.

The courtyard is simply landscaped with deer ferns, moss gardens, cherry trees and grass planted between concrete pavers. Two glass elevators reach the landscaped roof terraces, providing a dynamic experience of the inner courtyard and city views to the north.”