High-rise Residential and Mixed Use

Design intent: To site and design buildings to positively frame and activate streets and public open spaces.

Guidelines

In addition to the strategies outlined in the General Residential and Mixed Use Guidelines: 

1. Design podiums to have transparent frontages to promote ‘eyes on the street’, using strategies such as (See Figure 43):
   • Having continuous commercial and retail uses with windows and primary entrances facing the street; and
   • Having ground-oriented residential units with windows and primary entrances facing the street.
2. For buildings on corner sites with retail frontages, ensure there are active frontages on both facades by wrapping the primary retail facade to the secondary frontage. The primary facade can be emphasized by using higher quality materials and detailing and creating a more prominent entrance (See Figure 44).
3. For residential podiums with townhouse frontages, refer to Section 3.1 for Guidelines for that portion of the building.
4. Locate private, indoor amenity facilities such as bicycle storage along secondary street frontages as opposed to primary street frontages.
5. Blank walls over 5 m in length along a commercial frontage are strongly discouraged and should be avoided.

   Building Address and Access
    

6. Use architectural and landscape features to create well-defined, clearly visible, and universally accessible primary building entrances (See Figure 46 on page 37). Additionally:
   • Differentiate between residential and commercial entrances; 
   • Design lobby entryways to ensure they are well-defined and visually emphasized in the facade;
   • For retail frontages, provide small format retail storefronts with frequent entrances and a minimum depth of 10 m; and
   • Locate main building entries close to transit stops.

     Sidewalk Interface

7. Design the streetscape fronting buildings to have defined zones as follows (See Figure 45):
   • Frontage zone next to the building that may include patios, seating, or space for pedestrians to access  building entrances;
   • Pedestrian zone that accommodates pedestrians walking along the sidewalk;
   • Furnishing / planting zone that provides space for street trees, landscaping, seating and lighting; and
   • Edge zone that provides a buffer from moving bicycles and vehicles.
8. Provide a generous sidewalk width and space for streetscape amenities such as street trees, benches & patios (See Figure 47).

Figure 43: Frequent and transparent entrances into commercial frontages along the street creates visual interest, provides ‘eyes on the street’ and improves the pedestrian experience (5.1.1 a).

Figure 44: Example of active podium frontage with retail wrapping from primary (left) to secondary (right) frontages (5.1.1 b).

Figure 45: The sidewalk interface can be broken down into four zones, all of which have a role in supporting walkability, social interaction, and strong retail accessibility and visibility (5.1.1. g).

Achieving an active streetscape and strong relationship to the street
These conceptual diagrams demonstrate a selection of guidelines to describe key areas for consideration for achieving a strong relationship to the street and active streetscapes in high-rise buildings.
	Figure 46: Create well-defined, clearly visible, and universally accessible primary building entrances (5.1.1 f).
	Figure 47: Provide streetscape amenities such as street trees, landscaping, seating and lighting to enhance the pedestrian experience (5.1.1 h).
	Figure 48: Vary the height and form of the podium to respect and respond to the height of the existing and envisioned future context on neighbouring sites as well as the adjacent street width. (see 5.1.2 a,b & d).
	Figure 49: Site podiums parallel to the street and create a consistent streetwall (see 5.1.3 a).

Design Intent: To site podiums and towers to create a consistent streetwall and minimize visual and shadow impacts on the public realm.

Guidelines

In addition to the strategies outlined in the General Residential and Mixed Use Guidelines: 

Building Placement

1. Site podiums parallel to the street and extend the podium along the edges of streets, parks, and open space to establish a consistent street wall (See Figure 49). 
2. Additional considerations for building placement include:
   • Site towers to be setback from the street wall and closer to the lane.
   • Greater setbacks can be provided at strategic points or along the entire frontage for increased architectural interest and improved pedestrian experience, for example to provide space for tree planting, wider sidewalks, plazas, and other open spaces.
   • Greater setbacks can be provided along retail streets in order to accommodate street cafes and patios (3-4m).
   • On corner sites with retail frontage, provide a triangular setback 4.5m in length abutting along the property lines that meet at each corner of the intersection (See Figure 51).
   • Wherever possible, retain existing landscaped streetscapes by providing generous setbacks for trees and plantings.

     Building Separation

3. Maintain a minimum spacing distance of 25m between towers, measured from the exterior wall of the buildings, excluding balconies (See Figure 52).
4. Place towers away from streets, parks, open space, and neighbouring properties to reduce visual and physical impacts of the tower.

   Fit and Transition
    

5. Promote fit and transition in scale between tall buildings and lower-scaled buildings, parks, and open spaces by applying angular planes, minimum horizontal separation distances, and other strategies such as building setbacks and stepbacks to limit shadow and visual impacts.

   Solar Access
    

6. Orient buildings to maximize solar access to adjacent streets and public spaces, while also considering optimizing for solar orientation to improve energy performance and occupant comfort (see 2.2.1). Strategies for minimizing impact on solar access include:
   • Limiting the scale and height of the podium;
   • Designing slender towers with generous separation distances;
   • Varying the height of towers on sites with multiple towers; and
   • Locating towers on site to minimize shadowing adjacent buildings and open spaces.

     Views from the Public Realm

7. Site buildings to create, frame, or extend views from the public realm to important natural and human-made features (e.g., to Okanagan Lake) by using strategies such as varying setbacks to protect important views.

Figure 51: Provide a triangular setback on corner sites with retail frontage (5.1.3 b).

Figure 52: Provide separation distance between towers on the same site of 25m or greater (5.1.3 c).

Figure 57: Public art to reflect cultural history of the site and be memorable (5.1.3. I).

Design Intent: To design landscapes and open spaces to respond to an open space program that relates to its users and provides flexible, accessible open space. 

Guidelines

In addition to the strategies outlined in the General Residential and Mixed Use Guidelines: 

Publicly Accessible Open Spaces 

1. Wherever possible, include publicly accessible open space on-site, such as hard or soft landscaped setbacks, plazas, courtyards, and mid-block pedestrian connections. (See Figure 54 and 55).
2. Define and animate the edges of open spaces with well-proportioned podiums and active uses at-grade.
3. Locate and design publicly accessible open space to:
   • Be directly accessible from the fronting public sidewalk;
   • Maximize access to sunlight and encourage year-round use through the use of landscaping, seating, and weather protection;
   • Where possible, complement and connect with publicly accessible open space on neighbouring properties; and
   • Maximize safety, comfort, amenity, and accessibility. 
4. On larger sites, use publicly accessible open space to provide through-block pedestrian connections.
5. Where provided, tailor furniture elements as appropriate to encourage a range of seating and gathering opportunities, including both fixed and unfixed seating to allow for flexibility of use.

   Private Open Spaces 
    

6. Provide private outdoor amenity spaces on site, such as balconies, private courtyards, private gardens, and accessible green roofs (See Figure 55 & 56).
7. Locate and design shared private outdoor amenity space to:
   • Maximize access to sunlight;
   • Minimize noise, smell and/or visual impacts from site servicing or mechanical equipment; and
   • Provide seating, lighting, trees, shade structures, and weather protection.
8. Locate private patios and gardens to minimize overlook from neighbours.
9. For shared rooftop amenity spaces (e.g., on the top of the podium parkade), ensure a balance of amenity and privacy by:
   • Limiting sight lines from overlooking residential units to outdoor amenity space areas through the use of pergolas or covered areas where privacy is desired; and 
   • Controlling sight lines from the outdoor amenity space into adjacent or nearby residential units by using fencing, landscaping, or architectural screening.
10. Design private balconies to be large enough to provide usable outdoor space.
11. Locate indoor amenity areas adjacent to shared outdoor amenity areas and allow access between the two areas.

    Public Art
     

12. Where applicable, integrate public art on-site to generate interest and activity and reflect the unique natural, Indigenous, or human history of Kelowna (See Figure 57).
13. Provide adequate building setbacks and space to accommodate the pedestrian view and experience of public art installations.
14. Site artwork at key pedestrian spaces such as courtyards, mid-block connections, lanes, and plazas.

Figure 54: Example of incorporating publicly accessible open space animated by active podium frontages (5.1.5 a-e).

Figure 55:  Illustrating a variety of private outdoor amenity spaces as well as publicly accessible open spaces on a high-rise building site (5.1.5 a-k).