Aryze Annual

Vol. 03

An integrated home building, development and urban planning team focused on innovation across a full spectrum of housing types.

From the Desk of Aryze

As the VP of Operations, Katherine ensures Aryze as a whole—and our projects—are well coordinated, managing all procedures and processes to facilitate long-term success.

Here she stands outside of Rhodo, our collection of West Coast contemporary townhomes and condos that were recently completed in the Fairfield neighbourhood of Victoria.

Welcome to the third issue of the Aryze Annual, where you can get an inside look at our team and the many exciting projects we’re working on in municipalities across Greater Victoria. With a focus on innovation across a full spectrum of housing types, we advocate for diverse housing for diverse lifestyles, which includes purposebuilt rental apartments, forward-thinking townhomes and thoughtful custom homes constructed in partnership with some of Canada’s most acclaimed architects. We also want to build a better Victoria, which means fostering a strong vision for what a city can be.

Since we published the last Aryze Annual, our construction team completed two market infill developments—Rotunda in James Bay and Rhodo in Fairfield—each providing unique townhomes and condos in established neighbourhoods with room to grow. We also proudly appeared on the January/February 2022 cover of Dwell Magazine, where Pearl Block—our collection of six 3-bedroom townhomes on a challenging triangular lot in Oaklands—was featured on the cover for its approach to “fixing a hole in the housing market”.

Our development team has been busy, too. TELUS Ocean was approved as a major new business and innovation hub for the downtown core; our upcoming market infill project, Seven by Aryze, launched pre-sales; and our next three purpose-built rental projects—1025 Kings Street, 520 Normandy Road and 822 Catherine Street—were all nearly unanimously approved at Public Hearing.

Collectively, the industry continues to face a host of challenges across a wide spectrum of issues; front of mind for us are the unprecedented increases in the cost of land, housing and construction over the past year, as well as the historically low rental vacancy rates—a by-product of our ongoing housing crisis. As active members of the community, we see and experience the housing challenges facing so many people today, as well as the trickle down effect they have on everyday life. We’re passionate about making an impact on our community, and are doing our best to make real change, big and small.

With Rhodo and Rotunda coming to a close, the next iteration of infill is working its way through the Aryze think tank—and municipal processes— to be passed off to our talented team of builders and sub trades. These projects continue to represent what we fundamentally believe; that a neighbourhood shouldn’t be a wealthy suburb consisting of only single-family homes, but a vibrant place with a diverse mix of housing types, incomes, professions, beliefs and tenures. A community designed to give its residents the ability to walk to a coffee shop or grocery store; shared greenspace and beaches to enjoy the outdoors; and the infrastructure to walk, bike or take transit to work in a safe and convenient manner—the 15 minute city truly realized.

This past year saw us setting a path for our organization and prioritizing our role as advocates within the community. As this sphere of influence has broadened, so too have the opportunities; we have partnered with likeminded organizations that share our vision for what a healthy and vibrant community should be, and through these connections have birthed new partnerships that we are excited to launch into 2023. Our goal is to continue to foster an engaged community of change-makers— from our team here at Aryze, to neighbours, businesses, policy-makers, consultants and sub trades—who have shared values and are committed to the future potential of our city. A city where the priority is to nurture a strong economy and vibrant culture; to foster and meet the needs of a dynamic and evolving community.

Thank you for your shared passion and mutual commitment to a better Victoria.

Katherine Davies

We’re committed to increasing the quality of homes and communities across Greater Victoria.

b. Project Albero Victoria West

c. Rhodo Gonzales

d. Ross Terrace Hillside/Quadra

e. Rotunda James Bay

f. Seven by Aryze Fairfield

Pearl Block Oaklands

Tiny Town North Park

McNeill House Oak Bay

Oaklands

Hillside/Quadra

Victoria West

Gonzales

North Park

Oak Bay

James Bay

Fairfield

Rockland

Burnside

Using traditional building methods, innovative construction technologies and intelligent design, we deliver thoughtful living environments to people who want to call an Aryze home their own.

As Builders

Our team synthesizes craftsmanship and project management strategies to construct some of the most beautiful homes and multi-family infill developments on Vancouver Island.

As Developers

We focus on urban infill and base our process around innovation, performance and data-informed design. Every Aryze home is created to benefit the existing community and the needs of future residents.

As Advocates

We see it as our responsibility to provide diverse housing for all neighbourhoods. Our goal is to provide options at all points of the housing continuum to build a healthy, resilient community where everyone’s needs are being met.

Rotunda

The homes at Rotunda acknowledge the neighborhood’s historic past through a classic design matched by modern details.

Rotunda is a creative infill development featuring 12 homes that draw inspiration from the details and materiality of the historic buildings in the immediate area, creating a modern building that fits in. The height and proportions of the project emphasize this respectful relationship—and by

designing with the context in mind—the building feels simultaneously old and new. The result is a thoughtfully articulated design which centres around a striking open courtyard, welcoming generous natural light and a sense of airiness into the homes.

Architect D’Arcy Jones Architects

Structural Engineer RJC Engineers

Developer & Builder Aryze

Landscape Designer Biophilia Design Collective

Photography Ema Peter

Design

The variety of built and unbuilt sites surrounding Rotunda informed the basic shape of the building, taking into consideration the smaller grained neighbouring buildings to the northwest. The resulting design is two separate small-scale buildings flanking a central U-shaped courtyard. These three volumes float over an open-air parking space, which is more welcoming than a typical underground parking garage. By pulling the building into two halves to create a central courtyard, midday sun passes through the two smaller buildings letting light into the neighbouring yards, while simultaneously offering light from both sides on all homes. The building’s residential units all face onto the courtyard, creating east-west orientations that prevent midday overheating while providing passive cooling through cross ventilation.

“Rotunda nods to its neighbours while still being progressive; it balances personal privacy with quiet densification.”

Each unit has its own defined entry, creating a fresh rowhouse community

Bedrooms feature floor-to-ceiling built-ins for ample storage

Bright and airy kitchens open to expansive balconies, promoting indoor/outdoor living

Neighbourhood

Centered in Victoria’s vibrant James Bay neighbourhood, Rotunda is steps from the village and the Legislature—and only minutes from Downtown. As an established community with room to grow, Rotunda’s unit variety creates housing for a mix of people, bringing new vibrancy to the neighbourhood’s walkable town center which already includes a café, pub, grocery store and playground—a quintessential 15 minute city lifestyle.

Construction

Infill development in established neighbourhoods means taking full advantage of the scarce land we have available, usually within tight space constraints. Rotunda was built to nearly zero lot line on all sides, which made for sometimes challenging construction conditions without much room for laydown area throughout the process. The result, however, is a thoughtfully articulated design, where the building’s ground floor is aligned with the adjacent heritage building, emphasizing the pleasant character of the existing streetscape.

Building Resilience

Written by Damian Clow

Construction over the last two years has been one of the most challenging periods our industry has faced. Everyone, from the general contractor, sub trades, consultants and developers—to the people who now call these spaces their home— have been impacted.

Through this period, however, we have also gained invaluable experience that will shape how we approach building projects like these in the future.

Rhodo and Rotunda both started on the brink of the pandemic; this forced our construction teams to adapt quickly, evaluating everything from labour and supply chain shortages to how we physically run a site with additional protocols, sanitization and physical distancing in place every step of the way. Everyone from site supervisors, construction coordinators and safety officers to carpenters and labourers had to adapt and the process wasn’t linear; we worked in sprints to test new ideas, communicate and adapt based on feedback and then implement these new approaches across our construction crews. While it wasn’t perfect by any stretch, our team was motivated to keep people safe while simultaneously working tirelessly to keep these

projects on track and provide much needed housing for a city facing a housing crisis.

Additionally, the all-time record high cost of lumber put a significant amount of pressure on construction budgets. We weren’t alone in these challenges; our extensive network of sub trades were unfortunately all in the same situation, dealing with overwhelming demand, labour shortages and lengthy procurement timelines— the perfect storm.

As challenging as this was, it was also rewarding to develop and continue to strengthen our industry relationships. As a collective, we have learned some valuable lessons and look forward to putting these experiences to work on our next round of projects, continuing to be better at what we do. While, as a society, we aren’t out of the woods yet, we are humbled every day to have the best team in place to tackle whatever comes our way.

As the Director of Construction, Damian oversees the construction division at Aryze, ensuring each project is delivered to the highest standard of quality. His construction experience, combined with multiple years as a competitive Alpine Ski coach, has shaped his skill set to become an innovative leader at Aryze.

Why Purpose-Built Rentals?

What is the Housing Continuum?

Simply put, it’s the range of housing types that should be available in a community—each critically important for different people at different times throughout their lives.

A healthy city needs to have plenty of options available at all points on the spectrum to ensure every citizen’s needs are being met.

Imagine a city without enough housing choice to help people make the leap from one life stage to the next. That’s exactly what’s happening across Canada, as cities grow more expensive and vacancy rates decline. The housing continuum explains it best, which highlights the range of housing types that should be available in a community from emergency shelters on one end, all the way to homeownership on the other. In between lies an assortment of housing options and types, each critically important for different people at different times in their lives. A healthy city needs to have plenty of options available at all points on the spectrum to ensure every citizen’s needs are being met.

As homebuilders, we see it as our responsibility to address this lack of housing choice in our city—and even more importantly— we believe housing is a human right. With homeownership increasingly out of step with local incomes, purpose-built rental (PBR) housing is the strongest form of tenure and represents a possible, and sometimes beneficial, alternative to homeownership.

AVacancyRateof3-5% is ConsideredHealthy

Purpose-Built Rental VacancyRate

Common Benefits to Rental Housing

• Lack of maintenance or repair costs

• Increased access to amenities

• No property taxes

• More flexibility with where you live

• Housing security without the fear of renovictions

• Predictable monthly payments

• No requirement for a downpayment

Underinvestment in Purpose-Built Rental

1980-2016

New Residents

25,793

Victoria’s rental vacancy rate is currently sitting at 1%; meanwhile a healthy vacancy rate is between 3%-5%.

So, how did we get here? The 1960s and 1970s introduced the first series of apartment buildings built under the federal multi-unit residential building (MURB) program that incentivized many of the rental apartments built throughout the Capital Region.

Rental Homes Built

934

As this program was phased out, only 934 purpose-built rental units were built between 1980 and 2016, but the City of Victoria’s population grew by 25,793 residents. Herein lies the problem; population growth outnumbered rental housing construction by more than 27 to 1, contributing to a historic undersupply. If we are going to make urban progress in affordability, climate change and social equity, we need to increase rental housing across the City in established neighbourhoods that are well connected to walk, bike and transit corridors.

That’s the value of infill development—sites that are located in neighbourhoods with room to grow, in close proximity to all the day-to-day amenities required to support a growing population.

Want to learn more?

Check out some of the purpose-built rental developments we’re working on across Greater Victoria.

520 Normandy

68 purpose-built rental homes designed to the highest level of the BC Energy Step Code

822 Catherine

31 purpose-built rental homes in the heart of the Victoria West community

We’re Kinder Than We Think

A Letter About Victoria’s Missing Middle

Written by Luke Mari

City Council has been deliberating on a policy reform that seeks to increase housing choice in “Traditional Residential Neighbourhoods” across Victoria. These new housing forms—referred to as the “Missing Middle”—are the housing types in between single-family homes and high-rise apartments. An apt name for two reasons: first, these housing forms currently represent less than 10% of Victoria’s housing stock and second, it’s currently illegal to build them on 67% of Victoria’s residential land.

It wasn’t always this way. Our neighbourhoods used to be an eclectic mix of housing types and tenures connected to various parts of town by the electric streetcar—an ode to what we aspire towards nowadays with the coveted “15 minute city” concept. We see relics of this network and housing diversity at the

corners of May Street and Linden Avenue, ‘The Wavell’ on Hollywood Crescent and even our own office at Fairfield Road and Irving Road, which is a legacy commercial hub to service the streetcar turnaround that was once located at Margaret Jenkins School. Then suddenly in 1982, there was a sweeping downzone of these areas to restrict housing to only permit single-family homes.

So what’s the problem? These Traditional Residential neighbourhoods make up 67% of Victoria’s residential land base but have only absorbed an average annual growth rate of 0.2% dating back to 1971 (no… that’s not a typo). Meanwhile, other parts of the region—and other Victoria neighbourhoods—have seen double digit annual population growth rates. Even more concerning is that because 67% of the Traditional Residential land base is restricted to single-

A Measure Of Housing Diversity in Greater Victoria

Urban Residential

Traditional Residential

Urban Villages & Town Centres

Others

family dwellings, these areas only accommodate 24% of all households in Victoria. In a city where 60% of households are renters and 86% of these renters live in multi-family housing, we are essentially saying that the vast majority of the City is off limits to over 25,000 households..

If planning frameworks are democratic and represent the “will of the people,” one would think that there is broad support for the preservation of these single-family areas. Well, if you have been following housing reforms, locally, nationally and internationally, you may want to reconsider that assumption.

Countless surveys related to broad policy reforms across North American cities—both locally in Victoria and further abroad—indicate

strong support for densification. An incredible 92% of respondents to the Missing Middle Housing Project study agreed that Victoria’s neighbourhoods should have more housing diversity. Similar community sentiments have been found in cities across Norther America, including Edmonton, Minneapolis, Berkeley, Cambridge, Portland and Spokane, where they are implementing zoning reform to help with housing choice, affordability and sustainability by way of efficient and compact communities. On top of this proven support for densification of our established neighbourhoods, there exists a moral and practical obligation to ensure the next generation inherits a healthy and sustainable urban environment. At present, we

Percentage Change of Kids per Neighbourhood (2016-2021 Census Period)

Oaklands

Growth of Kid Population

have data clearly demonstrating that Victoria’s neighbourhoods only experience an increase in population of children when net new housing is built. In other words, all areas where housing may already exist, but isn’t being added—or isn’t zoned to do so, like Traditional Residential neighbourhoods—have a net loss of children year-over-year. In turn, neighbourhoods gaining the most children are where we permit the most new homes to be built; which in our

context is low-density suburban sprawl. This type of development has been proven to have detrimental effects to both the planet and human health outcomes. Not everyone can or will want to live in the city, but for the sake of our future generations, we need to ensure we limit this encroachment into our wild spaces and forests.

To give an idea of how dramatic this gulf in child-density really is, we can see from the most recent census data that while Victoria had strong,

“We can therefore conclude that families do want to live in the city, but we need the right type of housing constructed close to the right type of amenities in neighbourhoods that are already established to support this growth.”

above average population growth, Gonzales and Rockland—the two neighbourhoods with the least amount of new homes added in the City of Victoria—actually lost 40 children compared to the previous census. Looking at it another way, we can compare housing construction to the net number of children added to get a “childgeneration efficiency score”: ie, the number of new homes it takes to add one child to a neighbourhood. Low-density development on the Westshore typically generates one child for approximately every 2 homes built. Development in the urban core, however, is much less efficient, with new construction downtown resulting in one child added for every 12.7 units built, and all nearby neighbourhoods sitting in a similar range. If we can agree that we should be working towards a less car-dependent and ecologically harmful future, these are some key metrics showing us that we’re moving in the wrong direction.

Now, of course dwelling type does play a role; the fact that many of the homes being built in sprawling areas are simply roomier for families can be credited with at least some of the disparity, along with a myriad of other factors, including cultural norms and perceived affordability. Unsurprisingly, areas that are primarily experiencing high-rise development

have the lowest (ie, worst) housing-to-children efficiency scores, demonstrated by Downtown and Harris Green high-rise housing generating a 12.7 and 20 dwellings per child ratio, respectively. However, if we look closer, the data also gives us hope in our quest to stem this attrition of youth all headed to the exurbs; the nuance in the numbers tell us that drastic improvement on these scores is possible without moving to single-family construction.

If we look at upper Johnson Street where there have been a few low-rise developments in recent years, we get to 7 dwellings per child; Quadra Village, with a number of new low-and mid-rise buildings reaches the near-Colwood score of 3.3 dwellings per child; and where Fernwood Road meets Fort Street, 63 dwellings added 50 children for a ratio of 1.26—the highest in the region. We can therefore conclude that families do want to live in the city, but we need the right type of housing constructed close to the right type of amenities in neighbourhoods that are already established to support this growth. High-rise buildings are useful but they are also a symptom of the “grand bargain” whereby traditional neighbourhoods have been left alone while our population continues to grow. This means most of our historical housing needs have been met with Downtown or post-industrial land

Proportion of Regional Housing & Children Growth by Transportation Mode

Proportion of New Dwellings

Proportion of New Kids (0-14)

Multimodal Car Dependant

Proximity Measure Value: 1 = Cartopia, 10 = Urbanism Dream

development, which is often very high density, as opposed to a gentle density solution that is more sustainable and supports a higher dwelling-tochild ratio.

Most importantly, if we look at how much land it takes to “generate a child”—the actual efficiency of how we are utilizing this scarce resource—the picture is even clearer. Land use in the core is twice as efficient, with 2 children per hectare compared to Colwood’s 1 child per hectare, producing a knock on effect of ⅔ lower car ownership rates. This fact is key in our fight against climate change because how we construct our buildings and how we move through our cities are the two largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. As the data has demonstrated, to keep our neighbourhood character(s)—both the people and building forms—Missing Middle housing is the answer.

All combined, this data shines a light on exactly why the Missing Middle housing discussion is so critical. If we continue to concentrate new housing in only freshly clear cut forested areas far from town or in high-rise developments in the city centre, we can expect the trend of declining families to continue. We can follow the lead of cities such as Charlotte, Portland and Berkeley, and remove the constraints that are causing families to leave and neighbourhoods to stagnate. A simple, depoliticized process for creating diverse forms of medium-density homes in the heart of established neighbourhoods is absolutely necessary to ensure the diversity, vibrancy and beauty that drew us all to Victoria in the first place. After all, what is a city without its people?

Let’s allow culture and the local economy to flourish, and let’s do it by welcoming change with an open door. Odds are, your neighbours agree.

Luke Mari is an urban planner, land economist and Principal at Aryze. He also serves on the CMHC Missing Middle Housing Innovation Lab, CRD Regional Housing Advisory Committee and Board of Directors for the Greater Victoria Housing Society.

Seven by Aryze

With Seven by Aryze, you can enjoy subtle sophistication and indulge in the moments that really matter.

The Townhomes

Situated along a charming cul-de-sac street on the border of the established Fairfield neighbourhood, Seven by Aryze features thoughtfully designed 3-storey townhomes with private, exterior patios and lush balcony spaces.

The main floors include the dining, powder and living rooms separated by a gourmet-inspired kitchen, perfect for hosting and gathering with old friends. Go up one level and you will find two bedrooms, a four-piece bathroom plus a functional laundry room with custom millwork. On the third floor is the expansive primary bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet and den, which acts as your peaceful oasis in the sky.

Seven’s location in west Fairfield—just on the edge of Victoria’s Downtown and minutes from the oceanfront—offers endless opportunities to turn each moment into a memory.

To the west you’ll find the historic Legislature and some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants and to the east you’ll discover the charm of Victoria’s most coveted neighbourhood. If outdoor experiences are of interest, a short walk will bring you to Beacon Hill Park and Dallas Road’s waterfront trail.

Fill your bag with fresh produce from the market or a blanket for the beach. Ride your bicycle to the inner harbour or a nearby café. The choice is yours to make with Seven by Aryze.

Throughout the homes you will find high-quality, lasting materials and unexpected details that have been thoughtfully curated by our team, inspired by nearly 20 years of experience building high-end custom homes across Greater Victoria. Every inch of Seven by Aryze has been carefully considered to maximize livability and natural flow throughout, such as the floor to ceiling custom cabinetry for integrated storage.

Large windows and an open-air courtyard between townhomes brings ample natural light from both north and south outlooks, further emphasizing the bright and airy nature of the interiors. Centralized forced air heating and cooling ensures personal comfort, no matter the season.

Contact our Sales Team today.

Sarah Henderson Director of Sales & Leasing

(250) 533-1771 (cell) shenderson@aryze.ca

Virginia Bryan Sales & Leasing Representative

(778) 535-6633 (cell) vbryan@aryze.ca

Building Better Cities

We see it as our responsibility to advocate for a city with diverse housing for all neighbourhoods. We want people in our community to see options that reflect their needs, whether they call Victoria home today or wish to someday soon.

From greenspace and transit corridors, to the public realm and private homes,

we’re advocating for a city with a healthy sense of space and place

Our Engagement Coordinator, Julian, driving our Aryze mini truck to meet and connect with neighbours. You can reach him any time at community@aryze.ca!

Pearl Block homeowners Aiko and Michael (and baby Nathan) on the cover of Dwell Magazine.

Anawim Companions Society broke ground with our construction team on its new Women’s House following the success of the Men’s House, which has helped hundreds of residents since 1991.

c. b.

McNeill Custom Home

Designed by architect BoForm, and built by Aryze, this 3,500 sqft custom home and detached poolhouse guest suite located in the Oak Bay neighbourhood balances indoor/outdoor living with a timeless and unique aesthetic. Splitting their time between Victoria and Yellowknife NWT, the homeowners wanted to create a family home to host their grown children now living abroad, and take advantage of the mild weather on southern Vancouver Island. They engaged a local team to push the boundaries of their minimalist aesthetic to create something warm, tactile and inviting.

Oak Bay Scandinavia

Architect

Interior

Builder Aryze

Millwork

Photography

Woodshop506

James Jones

Exterior

On the outside—white wood siding replicates elements of the standing seam, hand-cut roof with narrow planks rising above the wide panel area. Inspired by Scandinavian aesthetic, this unique exterior seamlessly incorporates sharp angles and plays on a black and white contrast, while metal detailing with soft wooden soffits adds a warm human touch.

Interior

On the inside—vaulted ceilings create an airy, bright atmosphere in the living room adjacent to the kitchen and dining room spaces. Doubling down, the ceiling in the living room is finished with the same hardwood planks that you’ll find as the flooring in the upstairs bedroom.

Bright, minimalist bathrooms with skylights

Italian marble countertops/backsplash throughout the kitchen

Steel handrails with oak top

Vaulted ceilings in upstairs bedrooms

Indoor/outdoor living is emphasized with shipping container pool made in Abbotsford and adjacent 300 sqft poolhouse.

Complicated hand-cut ceiling finished in the same hardwood planks as the upstairs bedrooms.

In the heart of the main floor, the kitchen carries through the black and white contrast found on the exterior. Crisp white walls and an integrated hood vent are offset by bold grooved black stained oak cabinets by Woodshop506. The fridge, freezer and wall oven bank are clad in a flat cut oak to deliver the warmth of natural wood. Keeping the tall storage confined to one area allows the rest of the kitchen to be light, airy and open.

Breccia Capria marble imported from Italy clads all work surfaces and wraps up the rear wall of the kitchen as a main focal point while swirls of blue grey, flecks of gold and milky white bring an organic texture to the space. Wall sconces by Triple Seven Home flank the drywall enclosed hood vent over a Fisher Paykel gas cooktop.

The workhorse of the kitchen is the adjoining pantry, which boasts a 300 bottle wine fridge, integrated espresso machine, dishwasher drawers, bar sink with instant hot water and plenty of food storage. Having a well designed pantry meant the kitchen could epitomize of the home’s minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic.

The Kitchen

A Celebration of Urbanism & City Building

At Rifflandia’s Royal Athletic Park

By Melanie Ransome & Architect Franc D’Ambrosio

There’s a lot of talk about ‘the 15 minute city’, but what about a 15 second city? This year we put this concept in action at Royal Athletic Park with RiffCity—an enhanced site design, conceptualized by architect Franc D’Ambrosio of D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism (DAU). Following tenets of city building, we collaborated with DAU to help you ponder: how can accommodating a growing population and thoughtful design promote healthier and happier cities?

A 15 minute city (quite an old concept) is the notion that all daily needs, whether the grocer, doctor, childcare, housing or workplace, are located within a 15 minute walking distance. Mixed-use, walking neighbourhoods are proven to be conducive to positive social encounters and foster a stronger sense of community.

If we want to achieve this lifestyle, densification must be accomplished in the right way and in the right places, which means building more homes in established neighbourhoods that are amenity rich and have room to grow (tldr; infill development). This way, the local café can thrive and cherished wild spaces remain intact avoiding sprawl.

What better place to demonstrate this value on a micro-scale than at Rifflandia’s host site, the Royal Athletic Park? The site design, called RiffCity, reinforces the benefits of density on a bite-sized scale. Need a pick-me-up? Grab an espresso on Main Street. Kids full of beans? Take them to Kidlandia for some family-friendly fun for all.

DAU brought forward a simple form: the circle. The first cities (for example, Jericho, continuously inhabited for 9,000 years) were circular. Located for water, and trade then shaped for efficiency and defence, these configurations became the inhabitants’ expression of their social and cultural community.

Architect Franc D’Ambrosio sketching the radial RiffCity design, inspired by some of the world’s earliest examples of 15 minute cities.

Since 2008, Rifflandia has built its DNA on pedestrian-friendly experiences that transform Victoria’s Downtown.

RiffCity sketch, inspired by city-building principles and the coveted 15 minute cities.

Since 2008, the City’s festival has built its DNA on pedestrian-friendly experiences that transform Downtown Victoria and showcase its genius loci while inviting some of the world’s biggest acts to grace the stages. The festival promotes small business with Wristband Connect to encourage concertgoers to shop local and try something new. When September rolls around each year, there’s magic in the air as the City unites to revel in the shared appreciation of the performing and visual arts.

After all, that’s what urbanism is about: creating welcoming, shared spaces that celebrate diverse lifestyles and needs; spaces that allow us to build community. For more than 10 years, Rifflandia has been doing just that, and making our city happier, more stimulating and healthier in the process.

Creating a site design that builds on this legacy was a collaborative effort with DAU and RJC Engineers—our go-to team for all of our biggest ideas (see Project Albero and Tiny Town at aryze.ca); but first, DAU brought forward a simple form: the circle. The first cities (for example, Jericho, continuously inhabited for 9,000 years) were circular. Located for water and trade, then shaped for efficiency and defence, these configurations became the inhabitants’ expression of their social and cultural community.

the Interview

The setting of Royal Athletic Park provides an adaptable clearing in the fabric of the City. Fixed features like access points, grandstands and other infrastructure are keystones connecting the site and its host urban neighbourhood. The concept for RiffCity brings an ancient resonant form marking a place and giving order to a variety of functions. The disparate uses and sizes of the pieces of this temporary ‘city’ take their place making a cohesive, identifiable and memorable form. Something more than the sum of its parts. RiffCity demonstrates the qualities of a place for people, replete with the Lynchian elements of urban design. Essentially, this is people wayfinding using a mental map to move through the City with five elements: paths: routes along which people move; edges: boundaries and breaks in continuity; districts: areas characterized by common characteristics;

nodes: strategic focus points for orientation like squares; and landmarks: external points of orientation, usually identifiable objects in the urban landscape.

Walking at a leisurely pace—from the main entrance to the main stage and around the entire circle of RiffCity—takes about 8 minutes. But it no doubt takes you longer because you’ll want to get a drink, talk to some folks, listen to music, get a haircut and perhaps contemplate what it would be like if all of Victoria was such a place.

Cities are where things happen. They emerge from and express collective energy and vision. They form where industry, creativity and culture can thrive. Cities are the seed-fruit of civilization. Cities are where we care for each other. And although temporary, the Rifflandia Festival aspires to and celebrates all these things. Welcome to RiffCity.

The Aryze and Rifflandia teams at Royal Athletic Park for a site visit a.

Melanie is the Director of Communications & Engagement at Aryze, overseeing all the ways that we connect with and support communities across Greater Victoria. She’s always looking for new opportunities to share information about our work, infill development and placemaking with citizens, and thus, RiffCity was born!

An early hand drawn site plan by Franc D’Ambrosio of DAU

Tiny Town

30 Transitional Housing Units Built from Repurposed Shippnig Containers

As homebuilders, we have a responsibility to provide diverse housing solutions for all citizens. In December 2020, many shelters across Victoria were forced to close due to the global pandemic, leaving our community’s most vulnerable without a place to call home. With no other choice than to live in tent communities and parks throughout the City, we set out to find a rapid solution: a safe and warm transitional housing community built from repurposed shipping containers.

With support from the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, Our Place Society and the City of Victoria—as well as over 580 citizens and corporations who contributed over $550,000 (along with in-kind donations of products and services) we were able to cover the capital and construction costs for these muchneeded homes. Generosity and collaboration enabled us to execute the project within just six months time from concept to completion, providing homes to 30 residents since May 2021.

Designed by D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism, Tiny Town comprises 18 shipping containers of various sizes, each housing two or three private units of approximately 100 sqft. The units are insulated, ventilated and electrically heated, with an operable window, a door and a small porch shaded by an awning. Inside, they are outfitted with a bed, nightstand/dresser, a wardrobe and a small refrigerator.

An inside look of the homes at Tiny Town

Each unit has its own private entry, along with a small porch, shaded by an awning

Local architect D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism donated planning and urban design services for the project and RJC Engineers offered structural engineering and building enclosure services, all to ensure these homes are built to the highest standard of liveability for the residents who have spent the last year living outdoors in inclement West Coast conditions.

Architect D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism

Developer & Builder Aryze

Partner Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness

Site Management

Our Place Society

To further integrate Tiny Town into the vibrant North Park neighbourhood, the exterior walls of the community display mural art created by three local artists—Kay Gallivan, Lydia Beauregard and Caitlin McDonagh. Contributing to the public realm, this mural illustrates how different beings find and think about their homes, traveling from beehives to bird nests and even some trees. The art emphasizes that having a home is an integral part of being alive and encourages us to consider how our homes interconnect as part of a larger community.

Placemaking has always been a central component of Tiny Town and its community integration since opening its doors in 2021. What once was an under-utilized parking lot is now a key corridor for cyclists and pedestrians alike with large mural art enlivening either side of the street. But placemaking is just as important in private spaces, too! Our final art installation took place inside Tiny Town, which features three individual murals designed with feedback from the residents themselves.

Meant to thoughtfully juxtapose with the exterior mural art, Kay Gallivan, Lydia Beauregard and Caitlin McDonagh connected with the residents to hear their ideas and learn more about what community means to them. After doodling together, these are some the concepts that came to life!

Mural artists Kay Gallivan, Lydia Beauregard and Caitlin McDonagh

Painting the exterior mural art, called “Interbeeing”

One of the interior murals, designed in collaboration with the residents of Tiny Town

About Aryze

An integrated home building, development and urban planning team

At Aryze, we’re deeply committed to increasing the quality of housing and communities across Greater Victoria. We know fostering community is about more than simply building homes, which is why we take a thoughtful approach to the built environment in everything we do.

One of the most rewarding aspects of our job is seeing new families settle in as projects we’ve been working on for several years come to completion. After touchpoints across our organization—from development, engagement,

accounting, sales and leasing, and of course, construction—we get to see new communities take shape as an outcome of urban design and infill development.

Our team had the opportunity to tour Rhodo and Rotunda before homeowners moved in, which is an important experience for the entire organization as we begin handover—so that everyone can experience the end product and see the true impact of the work we do, day in and day out.

Meet Chris Quigley

Director of Development at Aryze

With an extensive and diverse background in real estate development and city planning across the UK and Canada, Chris brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on urban development to the Aryze team. In his daily work, Chris supports the development team to ensure each project is aligned with our core values;

building innovative infill developments—across a full spectrum of housing types—for densified, walkable and resilient communities while fostering an engaged community of advocates with shared values who are committed to the future potential of our City.

Contributing Photographers

From the Desk of Aryze—Ben Farris

Our Approach—Ema Peter Rotunda—Ema Peter

Building Resilience—Ben Farris, Eli Ramraj

Why Purpose-Built Rentals?—James Jones

We’re Kinder Than We Think—Eli Ramraj

Seven by Aryze—Ben Farris

Building Better Cities—Ben Farris

McNeill House—James Jones

A Celebration of Urbanism & City Building—Ben Farris

Tiny Town—Ben Farris, Eli Ramraj, James Jones

About Aryze—Ben Farris

Meet Chris Quigley—Ben Farris