News Coverage
Everyone's got an opinion, but is yours well-informed?
Parham Mahboubi’s real estate views, planning insights and development knowledge have been featured in numerous news media including online, print and radio.
Media Coverage Samples:
Maclean's Magazine
IS CALGARY THE NEXT PROPERTY HOT SPOT FOR FOREIGN BUYERS?
Condo developers aren’t overly optimistic about a flood of offshore money, either. “Most [purchasers] are returning to Vancouver as the market is hot even with the foreign buyer tax,” according to Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing at Qualex-Landmark, a real estate development group in Vancouver.
Reported by Joe Castaldo
IS CALGARY THE NEXT PROPERTY HOT SPOT FOR FOREIGN BUYERS?
Posted on May 8, 2017
As B.C. and Ontario slap taxes on non-resident buyers, Alberta has a message: ‘C’mon over’
A few years ago, a real estate developer tapped Buss Marketing in Calgary to drum up interest in a high-rise building in that city, especially from foreign investors. The real estate marketing and sales company courted brokers from Toronto and Vancouver that maintained connections to overseas buyers, and even hired an Asian real estate agent with a strong offshore network and sent him to Hong Kong for four months to prospect for buyers. “All these efforts were to no avail,” recalls company president Calvin Buss. The answer from foreign investors was uniformly the same: Calgary’s great, but we’ll stick to Vancouver and Toronto.
Alberta’s fortunes, and Calgary’s in particular, could soon change. Or at least that’s what the real estate industry is hoping, now that non-residents who buy homes in Vancouver and Toronto face a 15 per cent tax. “I do think that foreign investors who want to invest in Canada will shift to Calgary, lured by the most attractive returns in the country,” Buss says. Alberta is still crawling its way back to economic health after a steep downturn, and as a result, property prices are cheap compared to other regions. And unlike in Toronto and Vancouver, where foreign investment is viewed by some as a malevolent force driving up home prices, the market in the province is still shaky and a few more offshore buyers could be beneficial. “They’d actually be welcomed here in Alberta,” says Todd Hirsch, chief economist at ATB Financial.
An oil price crash and an unemployment rate that spiked to nine per cent last year did not cause the residential real estate market to crater, as some feared. Sales in Calgary and Edmonton dropped, and prices are generally soft. Year-over-year, the Teranet-National Bank House Price Index shows Calgary is up one per cent, while Edmonton has fallen 2.8 per cent. The market has been held aloft in part by hefty severance packages granted to laid off oilsands workers, allowing them to keep paying their mortgages.
Still, the market isn’t entirely in the clear: severance packages run out, and oil and gas firms are not expected to hire in waves any time soon. “A lot of those displaced oil workers, especially the professionals that were working in the shiny Calgary office towers—those jobs are not coming back,” Hirsch says. “Those professionals may find opportunities in other sectors. They just won’t be paid as much.”
In this context, foreign investment could help shore up the real estate sector. “Our market needs support from foreign money,” says Hong Wang, a real estate agent in Calgary. There are a few reason why it could happen. Vancouver’s offshore buyer tax, implemented last summer, shows how fluid foreign investment can be. Toronto’s housing market shot into the stratosphere over the ensuing months, prompting the Ontario government to put in place a nearly identical measure (city council in Victoria, concerned about an affordability crisis, debated but ultimately rejected a foreign buyer tax recently).
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the province is that prices are cheap compared to Toronto and Vancouver. According to one study, $300,000 will buy you 926 square feet in Calgary and 1,176 square feet of property in Edmonton—but only 520 and 339 square-feet in Toronto and Vancouver, respectively. Foreign investors tend to deal in U.S. currency, and the low Canadian dollar makes that cash stretch even further. “For the investors who don’t have as much money, they’ll probably come and look at Calgary as an alternative,” says local real estate agent Kirby Cox. Commercial real estate in particular represents a bargain, he contends. “If you can buy a building that was 25 per cent more expensive three years ago and the dollar is also down, that’s a windfall situation if you’re willing to hold on to it.”
Following Vancouver’s tax, Juwai.com, an online platform for international property buyers in China, published a blog post stumping for Calgary. Juwai claimed a new direct flight offered by Hainan Airlines between the city and Beijing will bring “an influx of Chinese visitors in the future” and that many could “purchase a home there should they fall in love with Calgary.” The company’s search data, however, show interest in Calgary has been flat, while the number of inquiries for Edmonton is up 50 per cent in the first quarter compared to the year before.
Online searches don’t always translate into sales, of course, and some in the real estate are skeptical foreign buyers will turn up in a big way. Brad Henderson, CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, says foreign buyers who are purely financially motivated are likely to consider Alberta—but that’s a small portion of an already small portion of demand, by his estimation. “Some of them are investing to get their money outside of conflict areas, and some of them may in fact want to immigrate here,” he says.
“Education” is the most commonly cited reason by prospective Chinese property buyers who are considering purchasing in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, according to a March study put out by Sotheby’s and Juwai. But only 8.8 per cent of prospective homebuyers pointed to education as a factor when considering Calgary, compared to 20.6 per cent who cited investment.
Condo developers aren’t overly optimistic about a flood of offshore money, either. “Most [purchasers] are returning to Vancouver as the market is hot even with the foreign buyer tax,” according to Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing at Qualex-Landmark, a real estate development group in Vancouver. Qualex-Landmark is currently developing Park Point, a luxury condo building in Calgary scheduled for completion next year. The website for Park Point features a Chinese-language option, though the company says it’s not actively targeting foreign Chinese buyers. Instead, the site is for the local Chinese community in Calgary “who share much of the same meticulous real estate investment savvy as their overseas counterparts.”
Even if prices are cheap, neither Calgary nor Edmonton is as well-known internationally as Vancouver and Toronto. “We’re leagues behind,” Hirsch says. And that means Alberta could remain overshadowed by those cities, despite the foreign buyer tax. That’s a dispiriting thought for those in the industry locally—not to mention buyers in Toronto and Vancouver who feel they’ve been priced out by the international moneyed elite. Wang, for one, wants to see the municipal government do more to raise Calgary’s profile with foreign investors. “There is a discussion about whether or not Calgary should apply to host another Winter Olympics. Why is this even a question?” she says. “Anything that can put us on the map is great.”
Vancouver Sun
GREEN ON QUEENSBURY MAKES FOR A FINE FIT IN NORTH VANCOUVER
“One of the moves that permitted formation of the park was a critical land swap the developer made with the municipality,” said Parham Mahboubi, Qualex Landmark’s vice-president of new developments and marketing. It was not a very attractive place,” he said, pointing out that the swap permitted the …
Reported by Michael Bernard
GREEN ON QUEENSBURY MAKES FOR A FINE FIT IN NORTH VANCOUVER
Posted on Oct 2, 2017
When former Deep Cove resident Will Stevens was house-hunting, he looked all around East Vancouver, False Creek and Mount Pleasant, but ultimately ended up coming back to the North Shore.
Not only did he believe he got the biggest bang for his housing buck in purchasing his first home there, he also avoided the dreaded “bidding wars.”
“I heard some very negative experiences about some of the bidding wars to get into entry-level second-hand purchases,” said Stevens, who works in software sales in downtown Vancouver. “You get your hopes up and your eyes set on something and you’re able to put in what you think is a competitive offer, and then get into a situation where you get outbid and stretched in terms of what you can afford.
“It just seemed like a very discouraging buying experience.”
Instead, Stevens visited the newly opened Green on Queensbury presentation suite with his realtor and purchased a one-bedroom 680-square-foot home in the three-building complex of condos and townhomes being built on a rise where North Vancouver’s Third Street meets Queensbury Avenue east of Lonsdale.The big attraction for Stevens — who has lived in East Vancouver for about six years and spent the last 18 months scouring neighbourhoods for a home to buy — was the setting for Green on Queensbury, which overlooks the five-acre Moodyville Park. It includes creative landscaping with water features, children’s areas and even a basketball/tennis court. For Stevens, those amenities, coupled with the more human-scale low-rise profile of the three West Coast contemporary designed buildings, provide a sense of community he doesn’t find with highrise developments.
Within Moodyville Park are walking and biking trails that connect with Pacific Spirit Trail, a 35-kilometre waterfront-oriented greenway that ultimately will stretch from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay on the North Shore.
Green on Queensbury is just one of several developments in a master plan for several blocks of Third Street, formerly a collection of about 300 dilapidated single-family homes whose properties were assembled to make way for about 2,000 multi-family homes.
The long-overlooked area actually has a surprisingly colourful history. Considered the birthplace of North Vancouver, Moodyville was the spot where the city’s first European settlers worked and lived. That first community included a colourful American entrepreneur named Sewell Moody, who, in 1865, bought a sawmill that turned out massive beams from locally logged cedar, hemlock and fir for shipment to China, Australia, Great Britain and even Peru.
One of the moves that permitted formation of the park was a critical land swap the developer made with the municipality, said Parham Mahboubi, Qualex Landmark’s vice-president of new developments and marketing.
“It was not a very attractive place,” he said, pointing out that the swap permitted the removal of a city-owned rundown four-plex rental building to create a more level and larger area, and to redevelop Moodyville Park as more usable public space.
Sales of homes have been brisk since the presentation suite was opened earlier this month, he said, paving the way for sales of the second building to commence this fall.
Inside, the developer has focused on higher-quality finishing, including integrated European-crafted cabinetry for the spacious kitchens. The cabinetry includes space-saving features like pull-out storage instead of the traditional Lazy Susan, under-cabinet lighting and pantry spaces in selected homes.
Countertops are premium quartz and chrome faucets are by Grohe. In one-bedroom units, the developer has included a Liebherr 30-inch refrigerator with ice maker; in the two-bedroom homes there is a 36-inch Fisher & Paykel french door fridge. All homes have a Fisher & Paykel stainless steel gas cooktop, 24-inch integrated double-drawer dishwasher and 30-inch wall oven, an AEG-brand 30-inch built-in range hood, a Panasonic built-in microwave and front-loading washer and dryer.
The homes have nine-foot ceilings in the living areas, and windows that come with roller shades. Flooring is quality wood laminate with an option to upgrade to carpeting in the bedrooms.
The master has a vanity with quartz countertop, under-mount sinks and a linen closet. Large-format porcelain tile is used for bath surrounds and floors with quartz accents for shower niches. Showers feature a frameless glass design and the mirrors are framed in the same wood material as the cabinetry. The two-bedroom models have variously sized ante-rooms that could be used for storage or a small home office or den.
The building’s amenities include a fitness room and lounge area plus a separate suite for visiting guests. The development’s name — Green On Queensbury — also refers to the green energy provided by the Lonsdale Energy Corp.’s district energy utility, which supplies hot water circulated through underground piping and mini-plants that provide heating and cooling. The project also incorporates several sustainable strategies, including LEED (gold) for homes, a green rating system that measures a building’s overall sustainability performance in eight categories.
Parking runs underneath all three buildings and includes charging for electric vehicles.
Qualex-Landmark was founded in 2002 and has won several awards for its residential and commercial projects in both B.C. and Alberta.
Project: Green on Queensbury
Project location: 707 — 747 East Third St., North Vancouver
Project Size/Scope: A total of 164 one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums and townhomes awaiting certification as LEED Gold standard for Multi-Family Midrise homes. Located in three four-storey buildings overlooking five acres of parkland. Close to Park and Tilford shopping centre, Queensbury neighbourhood stores, Lonsdale Quay and Pacific Spirit Trail
Prices: One-bedroom units from about 520 to 810 square feet, from $490,000s; two-bedroom homes between 730 to about 1,080 square feet, from $610,000s; three-bedroom units between about 1,100 to 1,150 square feet, from $920,000s; and two- and three-bedroom park-front townhomes ranging from about 1,300 to about 1,540 square feet, from about $1 million
Occupancy: early 2020
The Calgary Herald
DOUBLE DECKER: TOWNHOME IN CONDO TOWERS
“Typically, low-density suburban communities cannot provide these conveniences and, unfortunately, single-family homes in the downtown are beyond the range of the average home buyer. So, the next best thing is a townhome, such as the tower podiums at Park Point,” says Parham Mahboubi…
Reported by Cindy Stephen of the Calgary Herald
DOUBLE DECKER: TOWNHOME IN CONDO TOWERS
Posted on Apr 7, 2017
Park Point’s Live/Work Townhomes and Grand Lobby Entrance
If you’re a little tired of condos being strictly on the level, there’s a new floor plan in town.
It’s the two-storey condo, also known as the “stacked” townhome or “sky home” or “condo loft.” Calgarians are loving them and buying them.
Most condo developers began offering two-storey townhomes in low, mid and high-rise condo buildings several years ago, but they’ve only now become almost standard fare in new builds. Units can be at ground level, sometimes with a municipal street address separate from the building, or above grade. Townhomes appeal to buyers who want an “upstairs” and a “downstairs.”
The upstairs/downstairs lifestyle at street-level appeals to those who like immediate access outdoors. Units on higher floors offer separation of space with the lofty allure of high-rise views. By placing a two-storey floor plan within the context of a building, home owners can revel in shared amenities such as exercise rooms, rooftop terraces, 24-hour concierge, security, underground parking and guest suites.
Park Point by Qualex Landmark is a high-rise building currently under construction in Calgary’s dense Beltline neighbourhood where the townhome concept is an attractive option. Planning and marketing vice-president Parham Mahboubi calls them a hybrid — the feel of a single-family home but with a smaller footprint. The two-storey floor plans are 75 per cent sold in Park Point and Qualex Landmark has including them in other condo projects in Calgary, such as Stella, Nova, Luna and Calla.
Mahboubi says that most townhome buyers are looking for a central, amenity-rich location such as the Beltline where everything is within walking distance.
“Typically, low-density suburban communities cannot provide these conveniences and, unfortunately, single-family homes in the downtown are beyond the range of the average home buyer. So, the next best thing is a townhome, such as the tower podiums at Park Point,” he says. “Townhomes also appeal to buyers seeking a lock’n’go, hassle-free lifestyle. They don’t need to worry about property maintenance.”
Land use regulations at Park Point allow townhomes to function as work/live properties, so home owners can operate a business downstairs while their home is upstairs. Townhomes often cost less than a single-family home but more than a conventional “flat” condo suite, but that depends on where it’s situated in the building.
“The average price per square foot for our two-bedroom, live-work townhomes located at podium level of Park Point is roughly $661 per square foot compared to $665 per square foot for our two-bedroom condo ‘flats’ located up on the fifth floor,” says Mahboubi.
CREB Now
POP THE QUESTION – INTERVIEW WITH PARHAM MAHBOUBI OF QUALEX-LANDMARK
“Simply put, it’s vitality and identity. When you have a great vision, good planning principles and well-managed execution in a manner that garners the trust of future residents, people will be attracted to live and thrive there, while others will endeavour to establish businesses to support the community. This is what we’ve been witnessing over the last decade in the Beltline: a growing and vital community with a strong and important sense of belonging, well supported by an organic emergence of unique and essential services and amenities.” [says Mahboubi]
Reported by “creb now”
POP THE QUESTION – INTERVIEW WITH PARHAM MAHBOUBI OF QUALEX-LANDMARK
Posted on Oct 8, 2014
Interview with PARHAM MAHBOUBI
Vice-President, Marketing & New Developments,
Qualex-Landmark
As developers of six Beltline properties with the possibility of more on the way, Qualex-Landmark’s presence in Calgary’s downtown is growing by leaps and bounds. Over the last 10 years, the company has added more than 1,000 homes
to the area, allowing even more Calgarians to enjoy the many benefits of downtown living.
CREB®Now caught up with Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark’s vice-president of marketing and new developments, to talk about what makes the city’s downtown such a attractive place to call home.
What’s new at Qualex-Landmark these days?
“We’re pleased to announce the upcoming release of Park Point, Qualex-Landmark’s sixth residential condo tower, in the heart of Calgary’s Beltline community. Park Point’s two towers, reaching 34 and 27-storeys respectively, will reside on the old CIBC operations building site overlooking Calgary’s historic Central Memorial Park.”
What makes Park Point an attractive option for Calgarians?
“Park Point has received a 100 per cent Walk Score Rating (www.walkscore.com). With the ongoing evolution of the established Beltline community, Park Point will be central to every conceivable service and amenity ranging from grocery stores, cafés and restaurants to social gathering spaces, art galleries, parks, historic sites and a range of essential health services. Amenities that set Park Point apart include the open-air zen terrace with fire pit, barbeques and ample seating for rest and relaxation. While overlooking the park is an outdoor yoga/pilates sundeck and a fully equipped indoor fitness facility with yoga/pilates studio. Additionally, a steam room, sauna with change rooms plus a private lounge and kitchen are available for enjoyment by owners and their guests.”
Why do you think more developers are choosing to build in Calgary’s inner city?
“Urban professionals are increasingly looking for shorter commutes, access to alternative transportation options, walkable neighbourhoods, centralized services and simplified living. Downtown Calgary and especially its Beltline community has emerged to offer all of this while retaining a heritage look and feel with the restoration of original architecture and upkeep of significant parklands such as Central Memorial Park. At Qualex-Landmark, we’re building on the momentum of what’s happening in downtown Calgary as more inner-city dwellers look to shed themselves of the burden of laborious living that involves regular house repairs and maintenance.”
How do you think Calgary’s downtown will look in 20 years?
“With the strength in this trend toward urbanization and centralized living in this already well-established area, it’s not hard to expect a thriving and vibrant inner-city community, with enormous diversity and a rich cultural appeal. Downtown real estate will be more of a hot commodity than it is now.”
What’s one essential component of a good community?
“Simply put, it’s vitality and identity. When you have a great vision, good planning principles and well-managed execution in a manner that garners the trust of future residents, people will be attracted to live and thrive there, while others will endeavour to establish businesses to support the community. This is what we’ve been witnessing over the last decade in the Beltline: a growing and vital community with a strong and important sense of belonging, well supported by an organic emergence of unique and essential services and amenities.”
What’s Calgary’s biggest advantage as a city?
“Calgary repeatedly ranks high for the strength of its economy and as a business leader. Its national and international profiling is gaining as it continues to grow, employ, educate and attract. Applauded for being one of the best places to live in Canada to raise children and to enjoy a vibrant, active and culturally diverse lifestyle, Calgary also benefits from policies which support and encourage the redevelopment of its inner city, all of which are key ingredients to creating a very attractive city whether to live or invest.”
If you could change one thing about Calgary, what would it be?
“With all that Calgary has going for it, as with any major Canadian city, there are growing pains and always room for improvement. Whether it’s municipal policies that require refinement to enable Calgary to keep current with innovate planning policies, reducing vehicular traffic congestion in the downtown or creating more low-income housing options, much work lies ahead to ensure that every Calgarian has access to all that our city has to offer. Fortunately, the development community contributes a great deal to finding ways to close the gap on many issues by introducing products that directly or indirectly result in positive change.”
What is your favourite room in your home and why?
“The kitchen is my best friend.”
What’s your favourite way to spend a day off in or around the city?
“I’m an extremist, so doing only one activity is never enough. I enjoy a day exploring the pedestrian-oriented high streets though downtown and the Beltline. A highlight is spending time in Central Memorial Park, a great place to retreat to and grab lunch at one of the trendy food trucks that line 12th Avenue. SW or at the Boxwood Café situated within the park. From there, I enjoy visiting the galleries and shops in the Beltline’s famous Design District along 10th and 11th avenues SW or exploring the shops and sites as I make my way to the Red Mile, 17th Avenue SW’s eclectic retail entertainment and district. With so much happening in the area, although I’ve tried in a day, I always need more time to really take it all in and keep up with what’s happening in the heart of our city.”
What’s Calgary’s best-kept secret?
“Downtown living. Those who have come to learn what inner-city living has to offer, know that downtown Calgary is not just purely a major central business district and employment hub. It has evolved into what everyone can call home without compromise, and it is only going to get better.”
Urban professionals are increasingly looking for shorter commutes, access to alternative transportation options, walkable neighbourhoods, centralized services and simplified living. – Mahboubi
The Globe & Mail
BOOMER BUYERS STEPPING UP
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, says the boomers are “practically minded” when it comes to making the move from a suburban to urban lifestyle. The Vancouver-based high-rise developer is busy with its sixth Calgary project – Park Point – and is seeing a good proportion of buyers in the over-50 crowd despite the economic downturn. “They are savvy and not in a rush, but when they see something they like, they don’t let the unpredictable economy confuse their buying,” Mr. Mahboubi says. “They will thoroughly investigate all options and residential condo projects on the market and then make practical decisions that take advantage of opportunities that make practical and economic sense.”
Reported by Marty Hope for The Globe and Mail
BOOMER BUYERS STEPPING UP
Posted on Nov 16, 2015
The Calgary condo market is getting a boost from an influx of seasoned homeowners tired of their suburban acreages
Developers say the demographic mix in Calgary’s downtown condo market has taken on a silver sheen as a growing number of baby boomers and empty-nesters move to the core, shrugging off their suburban homes and acreages.
Boomers entering or nearing retirement seem to have felt little of the impact from oil industry woes, says Robert Duteau, senior vice-president of development with Grosvenor Americas, which has been very active in Calgary’s high-rise sector.
“We’re seeing buyers coming to us with equity from their single family homes and in a financial position that’s been largely unchanged.”
Grosvenor’s focus has been on the Beltline area of Calgary on the southern shoulder of downtown, where high-rises Drake and Smith have been built and where two other projects are planned. Its Avenue development, though, is at the west end of downtown and is appealing to the older crowd.
“Avenue has been designed as a luxury offering that has attracted boomers and right-sizers who have recognized an urban transition is taking place and are looking for luxury with a downtown address,” Mr. Duteau says.
And luxury comes with a price that this older generation is willing to pay.
One-bedroom units start at $374,900, one-bed plus den at $394,900, two bedroom suites at $734,900, and penthouses at more than $2-million. A collection of town homes is priced from $659,000.
For Almoonir and Nimira Dewji, the decision to move from their southeast Calgary home of 20 years to a two-bedroom residence on the 21st floor of Avenue was a while coming. Their children are grown and gone from the family nest, so their big house became something they didn’t need any more; they decided to get on with their own lives.
“It was time,” Mr. Dewji, who is co-owner of a management consulting firm west of downtown, says. “We had been contemplating a move and looking at what was available for a while now.”
Early on, the couple decided downtown was the best fit for them because it had everything they wanted in terms of lifestyle and personal interests and was in an area they tended to gravitate to for social occasions.
The downtown and the Beltline area have been popular with a wide cross-section of buyers who want the live-work-play element close at hand. That goes for the older crowd, such as the Dewjis.
On their list of must-haves was access to public transit, proximity to the Bow River pathway system, being near live theatre and being just a few minutes’ drive from the office.
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, says the boomers are “practically minded” when it comes to making the move from a suburban to urban lifestyle.
The Vancouver-based high-rise developer is busy with its sixth Calgary project – Park Point – and is seeing a good proportion of buyers in the over-50 crowd despite the economic downturn.
“They are savvy and not in a rush, but when they see something they like, they don’t let the unpredictable economy confuse their buying,” Mr. Mahboubi says.
“They will thoroughly investigate all options and residential condo projects on the market and then make practical decisions that take advantage of opportunities that make practical and economic sense.”
Qualex-Landmark officials are also finding that size matters in dealing with this older set of big ticket consumers. “We have found that the home types at Park Point that have larger square footage, between 850 and 1,650 square feet, have a much greater appeal to this older demographic,” he says, adding that much of the buyer interest comes from a desire for easy access to area amenities, security, and a more carefree lifestyle that allows them to lock and leave.
Prices at Park Point start at $257,000 for a one-bedroom unit. At a recent groundbreaking to mark the start of construction on Park Point, company president Mohammed Esfahani said that “considering the economic climate, we’re pleased to see that the market has responded accordingly to our first-class residential offering within the heart of an amenity-rich downtown community.”
Earlier Qualex-Landmark projects in Calgary are Mark on 10th, Calla, Luna, Nova and Stella, and all have an element of mature buyers mixed with the more typical young professionals, Mr. Mahboubi says.
Reported by Marty Hope for The Globe and Mail
Avenue Magazine
ARTFUL DEVELOPERS
According to Mahboubi, the company was introduced to [Douglas] Coupland through a mutual colleague while Mark was in the early design phase and proceeded from there. “It quickly became apparent that the large scale Coupland art piece was going to be an outstanding addition to the project,” he says.
Reported by Shelley Arnusch of Avenue Magazine
ARTFUL DEVELOPERS
Posted on Nov 6, 2016
When developers engage with visual artists, the result is a unique legacy for the community they’re building in and for the city as a whole.
Douglas Coupland’s large-scale art piece in the lobby of MARK on 10th.
Qualex-Landmark™, the developer behind the Mark On 10th condominium tower at the corner of 10th Avenue and 8th Street S.W. in the Beltline neighbourhood, took a more high-minded approach in their artistic engagement, commissioning a large-scale original work by luminary Canadian artist Douglas Coupland for the building’s lobby.
Titled “An Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century,” the arrangement of 20 multi-coloured bulls-eye forms is, in Coupland’s words “a distillation of Calgary that is both part of the modern world, yet also eternal” and “a work that engages the viewer in an ongoing challenge to identify and remember what is depicted — almost like a chocolate box and its map.”
According to Coupland, these forms “become signs that will, across time, mellow and ripen within a viewer’s memory, also acting as a smart and anticipated ‘welcome home’ moment.” Installed on the pristine wall of the lobby, it’s both an impressive work with an instinctive sense of place.
While Qualex-Landmark has several Vancouver projects featuring commissioned artworks in its portfolio, none have been to the scale of the Coupland commission, says Parham Mahboubi, the company’s vice president of planning and marketing. According to Mahboubi, the company was introduced to Coupland through a mutual colleague while Mark was in the early design phase and proceeded from there. “It quickly became apparent that the largescale Coupland art piece was going to be an outstanding addition to the project,” he says.
There’s status inherent in having a gallery-calibre installation by a recognized Canadian artist in the lobby of your building, but the decision to go the extra mile was also seen as a way to engage with the burgeoning “Design District” area that Mark on 10th anchors.
In a statement provided by Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark president Mohammed Esfahani said that the company’s vision for Mark on 10th was “not only about the building, but also about the neighbourhood,” a sentiment echoed by the project’s lead architect, Foad Rafii, who said that “with the incorporation of the art piece as a central feature of the Mark lobby, we were not only contributing our part in promoting the arts in the emerging design district, we were also infusing a new energy and vibrancy into the building.”
It would have been much easier and more cost-effective for Qualex-Landmark to forego the commission, however, Mahboubi says the Coupland artwork was “one of several key selling points of the project,” which was completed last spring and is listed as sold out. “We have found that when the opportunity has arisen, introducing a unique piece of art designed by a reputable artist has so far been generally well received by homeowners and has been a positive contribution to the project and the neighbourhood,” he said.
Reported by Shelley Arnusch of Avenue Magazine
CREB Now
LIVE-WORK HOMES OFFER UNIQUE LIFESTYLE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Mahboubi says the land use regulations for the Park Point site allowed townhomes to operate as a business, “so we took the opportunity to create ground-level, live-work suites and provided direct suite access to pedestrians from the street.”
Reported by Gerald Vander Pyl for CREB Now
LIVE-WORK HOMES OFFER UNIQUE LIFESTYLE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Posted on Aug 17, 2018
Most Calgarians have a place where they live and another where they work. However, a combination of the two has emerged that could be the wave of the future: live-work condominiums.
In the early 2000s, Battistella Developments took a chance when it unveiled its Orange Lofts live-work condominium project in what was then an East Village neighbourhood awaiting renewal.
No one was sure how successful the concept would be, but the result was the creation of a rather unique community, says Chris Pollen, director of sales and marketing for Battistella Developments.
Pollen says it turned out that some people simply liked the high-ceiling design and bought their unit solely as a home. However, others use one level of their unit for business purposes and live on the other, with those on the street level being allowed an actual “storefront.”
“WE RECOGNIZED THE TREND FOR CANADIANS WORKING FROM HOME AND BELIEVE THERE IS DEMAND FOR THEM IN CALGARY.” – MOHAMMED ESFAHANI, QUALEX-LANDMARK PRESIDENT
“We do see a nice mix of people in this building, from small businesses and sole proprietors, to actual tenants who live in the building,” said Pollen.
When Qualex-Landmark designed its new Park Point tower in the Beltline, it included eight two-storey live-work townhomes in the building podium, which quickly sold out.
“We recognized the trend for Canadians working from home and believe there is demand for them in Calgary,” said company president Mohammed Esfahani. Esfahani says the general concept of a live-work townhome is not new in North America, and “much of the inspiration for Qualex-Landmark has come from podium townhomes in residential towers throughout Metro Vancouver in British Columbia.”
Parham Mahboubi, the company’s vice-president of planning and marketing, says they envisioned residents setting up a private office on the second floor of the unit. Mahboubi says the land use regulations for the Park Point site allowed townhomes to operate as a business, “so we took the opportunity to create ground-level, live-work suites and provided direct suite access to pedestrians from the street.”
Pollen says live-work is not a style of building, but rather a discretionary use under City zoning bylaws. He adds live-work is still a niche market, but could trend upwards in the future, along with shop homes – an actual building style with commercial space on the street level and residential above – due to the City’s move towards densification.
Mahboubi says live-work units allow entrepreneurial people to skip the commute to an office and live in a vibrant urban centre. “Generally, we’ve seen a growing trend in Calgary for those who are self-employed and looking at non-traditional options,” he said.
CISL 650 Radio Real Estate
Green on Queensbury
Radio Real Estate with Tom Lucas. Interview with guest, Parham Mahboubi, VP Planning and Marketing, Qualex-Landmark, regarding latest development, Green on Queensbury.
July 23, 2017
Host: Tom Lucas for CISL 650 AM Radio
H&L Magazine
DOUGLAS COUPLAND’S DESIGNS BRING MAGIC TO THE MARK
“We’re quite excited about it,” Mahboubi said about the art installation. The building is located in Calgary’s design district, making the artwork a perfect complement, he added. The grand piece makes the lobby inviting and warm, and Mahboubi describes the rooftop lounge and art installation as being two bookends. “It’s almost like two bookends to a residential condo,” he says. “Both ends are striking.”
Reported by Seema Dhawan for H&L Magazine
DOUGLAS COUPLAND’S DESIGNS BRING MAGIC TO THE MARK
Posted on Oct 12, 2016
Calgary’s newest luxury building has its eyes on the sky.
One of Calgary’s newest luxury condominium buildings is letting all residents take in stellar views with their morning coffee. The MARK on 10th Avenue and 8th Street Southwest has moved the traditional resident’s lounge and taken it to the skies. Located on the 34th and 35th floors of the building, the residents lounge has a long list of attractive amenities: a glass mezzanine with panoramic views of the Rockies and the Calgary Tower, a yoga studio, fitness centre, infrared sauna, billiards table, barbeque, wet bar, and an outdoor hot tub with a patio for sunbathing nearby.
“It’s considered one of the most luxurious rooftop amenities in the city,” said Parham Mahboubi, Vice-President of Planning and Marketing at Qualex-Landmark™, the building’s developers.
The 35th floor mezzanine, only accessible by stairs inside the lounge, is the star of the show. Adorned with a desk, couches, and warm throws, the inviting space is for residents to lounge, work, or simply take in views of downtown. The mezzanine sits out like a block on top of the building and is described as an observation deck for the city.
The $100 million condo project is also home to the first large-scale artwork installation in Alberta by internationally acclaimed designer Douglas Coupland. Titled ‘Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century’, the artwork is displayed in the lobby and features 20 coloured targets that represent flora, fauna, and institutional elements of the city.
“I wanted to make this very intense colour pesto to put on the wall, so, if it’s winter out, you could change your mood,” Coupland said in a statement. “The forms become signs that will, across time, mellow and ripen within a viewer’s memory, also acting as a smart and anticipated ‘welcome home’ moment.”
“We’re quite excited about it,” Mahboubi said about the art installation. The building is located in Calgary’s design district, making the artwork a perfect complement, he added. The grand piece makes the lobby inviting and warm, and Mahboubi describes the rooftop lounge and art installation as being two bookends. “It’s almost like two bookends to a residential condo,” he says. “Both ends are striking.”
When you’re in the lobby, you’re awed, and the views from the rooftop have to be seen to be believed.
Reported by Seema Dhawan for H&L Magazine
Calgary Metro
BELTLINE CONDO PROJECT HAS IT ALL
“Our recent sales activity indicates that the pre-sale condo buyer is still quite active in the market,” said Parham Mahboubi, Vice President of Planning and Marketing for Qualex-Landmark™. “Since sales launched, we have consistently seen a broad range of home-buyers at Park Point. They span across a wide demographic, including young professionals (singles and couples), move-up buyers, downsizers, retirees, investors, and even some families.”
Reported by Kathy McCormick of Calgary Metro
BELTLINE CONDO PROJECT HAS IT ALL
Posted on Sep 22, 2016
Close to a park, library and downtown plus luxe amenities.
Even in the typically slower summer months for prospective new home or condo buyers, Qualex-Landmark™ has seen steady traffic to its latest project in the Beltline, Park Point. But then again, that’s not a surprise. Every development of Qualex-Landmark™ has been met with buyer interest since the Vancouver-based company first set its sights on Calgary a decade and a half ago. Since then, they continue to build multi-family apartments close to the downtown core. Park Point is another perfect example.
The 289-suite tower has 34 storeys with street level live/work townhomes, a guest suite, and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Its location is ideal for not only easy commutes to work for those in the downtown core, but for recreation as well. The five-acre historic Central Memorial Park and Calgary’s Memorial Park Library are a stone’s throw away. And 17th Avenue and 4th Street SW – the heart of funky, exciting shops, services, as well as eclectic restaurants and entertainment spots – are just a short walk away.
“Our recent sales activity indicates that the pre-sale condo buyer is still quite active in the market,” said Parham Mahboubi, Vice President of Planning and Marketing for Qualex-Landmark™. “Since sales launched, we have consistently seen a broad range of home-buyers at Park Point. They span across a wide demographic, including young professionals (singles and couples), move-up buyers, downsizers, retirees, investors, and even some families.”
The project is currently more than 50 percent sold, with construction having started in October 2015 and first move-ins expected by summer 2018. The homes range from one-bedroom, to one bedroom with den, two-bedroom units, two bedrooms with den, and a limited selection of townhouses and penthouses.
Park Point kitchen featuring “Dusk” colour palette. Features include such luxury items as high-performance wood-laminate flooring, nine-foot high ceilings in living areas, expansive, energy-efficient windows, stacked washer and dryer units, stone slab countertops and backsplash in kitchens, European kitchen appliance packages and fixtures from Germany.
The building amenities are generous, including 24-hour concierge, secure, underground parking and bicycle storage for residents as well as underground visitor parking, a vehicle, bike and dog-washing area, steam room, sauna and his/her change rooms with showers, a fully equipped fitness facility, a social lounge club with kitchen and fireplace, and more. The outdoor amenity space includes a Zen Terrace with seating and a water feature, social air lounge seating with firepit, barbecue area with a large harvest table, and a yoga/Pilates sundeck overlooking Central Memorial Park.
Two fully furnished show suites (a one and a two-bedroom model) are in the Discovery Centre at the corner on 11th Avenue and 2nd Street SW.
Calgary Home Living Magazine
THE BELTLINE’S EXCLAMATION POINT
“Park Point’s unique proposition in the marketplace is its park-side location on Central Memorial Park,” says Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark™ vice-president of planning and marketing. “This public amenity offers Park Point homeowners a beautifully manicured urban park right in their back yard. The best part is they don’t have to mow this lawn or maintain it, ever.”
Reported by Calgary Home Living Magazine
THE BELTLINE’S EXCLAMATION POINT
Posted on Jun 22, 2018
Park Point remains the best bet for Beltline living Stella, Luna, Nova, Calla, and Mark on 10th. There’s a certain cadence in saying these names out loud, almost a like a love song to Calgary’s Beltline. They are, of course, the string of residential condo high-rises from Qualex-Landmark™ that has redefined multi-family living in this inner-city community — and their latest addition — Park Point — puts a literal exclamation point to this nearly two decades long endeavour.
The 34-storey Park Point tower is all but completed and its graceful outline designed to resemble an exclamation mark now stands on the corner of 12 Avenue and 2 Street S.W. It has become the defining lifestyle choice for downtown dwellers who have overwhelmingly chosen it as their new home.
Casey, an early fan of Park Point, bought his one-bedroom suite here as soon as he saw the presentation centre’s show suite. “I could immediately see myself living here, the style, the location and the amenities that Park Point offered, it was the total package.”
Casey
He opted for a unit with no parking stall and says the walkability of the location was a major factor in his decision. “The location is near my work, and although I can work mostly from home, I can drop by the office quickly if they need me. Being near all the restaurants and coffee shops on 4th Street and 17th Avenue is also very appealing. You’re near enough to the action without necessarily being in the middle of it,” he tells Condo Living.
“Besides, the in-house amenities like the rooftop garden gives you a chance to know your neighbours, and I can’t wait to try it out when I move in later this summer.”
Condo Living was given a unique opportunity to view the entire development just before its completion and — even at this stage of construction — the possibilities it already presents are quite breath-taking. The rooftop garden is shaping up to be a peaceful hub for social gatherings for residents, the steam room, gym and lounge are just about ready to receive their first guests. But the views already available – especially from the higher up floors — are just astounding. Which is probably why all but one of the sub-penthouse units have been taken.
Asked what the most remarkable aspect of the entire construction process was, Mark Fleming, Axiom’s Site Superintendent at Park Point, says the levelling of the floors. “Because all the kitchen cabinetry were imported from Italy, we had to take extraordinary effort in ensuring that the floors were all level so everything can fit,” he says. “I have never seen a project that needed as much attention to detail.”
The exacting process of construction hasn’t affected timelines though, as buyers will be moving in later this summer.
About 85 percent of the 288 homes are now sold, but Park Point sales manager Leah Callow says there are still plenty of one- and two-bedroom units still up for grabs. “Available units start from the $290,000s,” she says.
She adds that she has seen a real mix of buyers in Park Point. “We have everyone from first-time homebuyers to downsizers, singles, couples, everyone seems to want the lifestyle that Park Point readily offers.”
Calgary’s Beltline district has been one of the hottest selling properties in the city. With its treasure trove of shopping, dining and entertainment amenities, proximity to the downtown core and Central Memorial Park at its epicentre, it’s a no-brainer why Park Point buyers want to live here.
“Park Point’s unique proposition in the marketplace is its park-side location on Central Memorial Park,” says Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark™ vice-president of planning and marketing. “This public amenity offers Park Point homeowners a beautifully manicured urban park right in their back yard. The best part is they don’t have to mow this lawn or maintain it, ever.”
And when combined with the upscale interiors, project amenities, protected views and backed by a reputable and experienced developer, there really is no comparison to Park Point anywhere in the inner city.
The remaining homes at Park Point offer stylish, meticulously finished one- and two- bedroom suites from roughly 560 to over 1,340 square-feet.
European in style and deeply practical, Park Point’s award-winning interior is carefully designed by Scott Trepp, president of Trepp Design Inc., and has received tremendous feedback on the outstanding finishes, which is one of the strongest selling points of these homes. These include, for example, genuine granite slab countertops and backsplash, Italian Armony Cucine cabinetry, high-end appliance package, finishings and accessories. In many ways, the suites themselves are art pieces.
“The functionality and intelligent design part of the homes is about making a smaller space work as efficiently as a larger space,” says Trepp. “This comes down to design details such as placement of drawers in kitchens, to the overall placement of appliances that really work cohesively.”
Stylish interiors and an unbeatable park-side location and terrific, unobstructed views of the surrounding cityscape have combined for Park Point’s tremendous success.
“Compared to our previous five residential towers in Calgary’s Beltline community, Park Point, has certainly seen a shift from investors to more end-users. This trend may be due to both market conditions and Park Point’s unique location,” Mahboubi says.
“While park-front property makes for an excellent investment, end-users are especially drawn to the upscale interiors, outstanding amenities and protected views over the park.
End-users and investors alike realize the rare opportunity to buy park-side.”
View the article online by Calgary Home Living.
Reported by Calgary Home Living
The Calgary Sun
EXCLAMATION POINT ADDED TO THE BELTLINE
“At Qualex-Landmark, we believe in delivering innovative and distinctive condo towers. We strive to create living spaces and neighbourhoods that all residents can be proud to call home,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing. “Nothing proves this more than by having our own team residing within our projects.”
Reported by Myke Thomas for the Calgary Sun
EXCLAMATION POINT ADDED TO THE BELTLINE
Posted on Apr 30, 2018
If all goes according to plan, Qualex-Landmark’s number this summer will be six.
That’s six high-rise condo towers in the Beltline, adding to the developer’s reputation of building the most high-rise buildings, housing more than 1,000 homes, in the inner-city neighbourhood.
August is the targeted month for the completion of Park Point, a 34-storey high rise with 289 units at the corner of 12 Ave. and 2 St. S.W. The tower puts an exclamation point on the area, says Tony Wai of the design firm, IBI Group.
“We created Park Point to be top heavy, the biggest floor plate is at the top floor, and looks like a big exclamation point when seen from afar with its black and white façade,” says Wai.
Park Point is 80 percent sold and when residents move in this summer, some Qualex-Landmark staff members will be among them.
“At Qualex-Landmark, we believe in delivering innovative and distinctive condo towers. We strive to create living spaces and neighbourhoods that all residents can be proud to call home,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing. “Nothing proves this more than by having our own team residing within our projects.”
While Park Point is loaded with amenities, one of its main attractions is its location, within walking distance of a variety of green space, shopping, restaurants, work space and entertainment.
Mahboubi points out it is a matter of minutes to Central Memorial Park, downtown, the Mission District, 17 Avenue S.W., Stampede Park and some of Calgary’s hippest and most popular venues.
“City walkability and access to major city events is the key to a modern lifestyle,” he says. “It was an important factor in choosing this location to build the Park Point tower. Our residents want convenience and access to the things they love without the hassle of driving or taking transit.
“In addition, residents will have access to the community rooftop garden and Calgary’s Central Memorial Park, the city’s most historical park and the heart of the wider Beltline community.”
The Calgary Herald
CAR OPTIONAL: DEVELOPERS WEIGH WALKABILITY FACTOR [PARK POINT]
“In large part, homebuyers have chosen Park Point because it is located in a very established neighbourhood with every amenity and service imaginable, particularly its walking distance to the city’s business district,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark.
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald
CAR OPTIONAL: DEVELOPERS WEIGH WALKABILITY FACTOR [PARK POINT]
Posted on Jul 7, 2017
Just like the song These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, condo developers in Calgary’s inner-city are finding hits of their own with locations that allow residents to thrive on foot.
While not a must-have for everybody, many condo buyers relish the ability to go shopping or out for a bite to eat — without reaching for their car keys …
… Another B.C. developer, with a long history of building in Calgary’s Beltline, says this district is ripe for people who want to get where they need to go on foot. Qualex-Landmark’s latest tower in the neighbourhood is Park Point.
“In large part, homebuyers have chosen Park Point because it is located in a very established neighbourhood with every amenity and service imaginable, particularly its walking distance to the city’s business district,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark.
Mahboubi says Park Point residents “will live among the closest of any Calgarian to every conceivable urban neighbourhood amenity and across from one of Canada’s oldest and most beautiful urban parks.”
DDC Journal
BUILDING A BETTER HIGHRISE
“Since we stepped foot in Calgary, Qualex-Landmark™ has always been known as pioneers in residential high-rise condo development”, says Parham Mahboubi, Vice President of Planning and Marketing. “We have always tried to be at the forefront of innovation and design, yet still remain within the financial reach of most homebuyers.”
Reported by DDC Journal
BUILDING A BETTER HIGHRISE
Posted on Aug 9, 2016
Newest venture looks to redefine luxury living in Canadian markets
One of the most revered real estate development groups in western Canada, Qualex-Landmark™ group has formed valuable partnerships to create truly one-of-a-kind properties. Most recently, the group has been working on Park Point, a high-rise, mixed-use condominium tower in a premier downtown Calgary, Alberta location across from Central Memorial Park, one of Canada’s oldest urban parks.
“Since we stepped foot in Calgary, Qualex-Landmark™ has always been known as pioneers in residential high-rise condo development”, says Parham Mahboubi, Vice President of Planning and Marketing. “We have always tried to be at the forefront of innovation and design, yet still remain within the financial reach of most homebuyers.”
Park Point’s unprecedented amenities and walkable neighborhood will make the high-rise one of the most sought-after locations to live in Calgary. When the project is completed in 2018, it will include 289 upscale condo units and 9,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities and ground-level retail space.
Qualex-Landmark™ has created an “A-team” to accomplish its goal of creating the perfect place to live in Calgary. IBI Group is heading up and is responsible for the architectural building design component, while Durante Kreuk landscape architects is developing the landscape design aspects. Trepp Design Inc. is behind the interior design and Axiom Builders is the main contractor.
According to the lead architect, Tony Wai of IBI Group, “Park Point features a sophisticated sculptural expression and contemporary style. Its elegant double-height lobby and distinctive canopy creates a bold, yet gracious arrival. Strong vertical architecture is created as select floor plates grow in size as they ascend the building, inspiring a color enhancing and stepped effect, adding to the prestige nature of the address.”
Overcoming an Adverse Economic Climate
During the planning stages for Park Point, Qualex-Landmark™ realized it would need to develop a high-rise that offered much more than just luxury condominiums and beautiful aesthetics to sell units. With units that ranged in price from $263,000 (CAD) to more than $1 million each, the property needed a little more to persuade potential residents to purchase.
“Following the sales launch of Park Point in February 2015, we entered the real estate market at the beginning of Calgary’s economic downturn, when oil prices were starting to drop,” Mahboubi says. “With job losses and tighter budgets, homebuyers were becoming much more careful and thorough when it came to researching and purchasing a condo.”
To combat any potential concerns homebuyers might have, Qualex-Landmark™ worked to ensure Park Point would keep condo fees comparatively low, while offering all of the amenities buyers would expect. Qualex-Landmark™ identified an array of upscale “must-have” suite features for buyers, along with well-appointed yet practical amenities to provide further enticement. These include outdoor areas for lounging, socializing and exercising, such as an outdoor barbecue, yoga, and Pilates studios, an indoor social lounge club, saunas and shower facilities, an outdoor fire pit and an expansive rooftop Zen terrace with a water feature.
The ground-level retail space is another important aspect of the development, as it allows the property to fit in seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood. In fact, Qualex-Landmark™ chose to build Park Point in Calgary’s Beltline community because it is located in a well-known area of the city that provides just about every variety of amenity and service imaginable within walking distance. The high-rise will also offer great views of Central Memorial Park and the mountains in the distance.
“Aside from what will be one of the most centralized real estate opportunities in the city, the exceptional, protected panoramic views of Calgary and Central Memorial Park makes Park Point the best-of-class location for investing in an active lifestyle in the rapidly evolving city centre,” says Mohammed Esfahani, President of Qualex-Landmark™.
Park Point has a 96 percent Walk Score rating, which the team at Qualex-Landmark™ believes will greatly increase the building’s attractiveness to potential buyers. “Downtown living is becoming increasingly popular due to walkability and the convenience of access to amenities,” Esfahani says.
Dedication to Green Living
Although parking is available for residents, architects on the project aim to minimize Park Point’s carbon footprint. “By densifying this area and bringing people to live [downtown], it’s already promoting a healthier lifestyle, with less reliance on the personal automobile-encouraging more walking, public transit or biking,” Wai says.
To further encourage a healthy living, the high-rise will have ample bicycle storage for residents who choose an alternative form of transportation. And as an added bonus, residents get the satisfaction of living in a truly green building right downtown. “There are also green roofs, landscaped rooftop gardens and street-level patios, improving air quality, reducing storm water runoffs, while creating a rich, aesthetically pleasing environment for people to live in,” Wai says.
Esfahani says that understand the needs of urban residents continues to be the company’s top priority. “Unparalleled location, great floor plans, fantastic amenities, outstanding design and breathtaking views are the top factors needed to create a superior project,” he says.
Reported by DDC Journal
The Calgary Herald
DOWNSIZERS PARE HOMES TO THE ESSENTIALS: LOCATION, LIFESTYLE AND LOTS OF STORAGE
Vice President of Planning and Marketing for Qualex-Landmark™, Parham Mahboubi, also points to the importance of strong design “The interior space, building design and amenities need to exude a sense of quality, pride, class and ‘bragging rights’”, says Mahboubi. “[Downsizers] want to show off the building, the amenities, the upscale design of the suite, and the surrounding views…”
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald
DOWNSIZERS PARE HOMES TO THE ESSENTIALS: LOCATION, LIFESTYLE AND LOTS OF STORAGE
Posted on Jul 29, 2016
While the empty-nester market is largely driven by home size and a low-maintenance lifestyle, it doesn’t end there. Factors that support a smooth transition to a smaller living space are top considerations for downsizers, says builders of apartment-style condos in the city…
Vice President of Planning and Marketing for Qualex-Landmark™, Parham Mahboubi, also points to the importance of strong design “The interior space, building design and amenities need to exude a sense of quality, pride, class and ‘bragging rights’”, says Mahboubi. “[Downsizers] want to show off the building, the amenities, the upscale design of the suite, and the surrounding views. They want to be able to demonstrate that, by downsizing, they are actually upgrading their lifestyle and not compromising.”
Qualex-Landmark™ is now constructing and selling into condo tower Park Point, located in the city’s Beltline district. “[Downsizers] want to know whether they can still host and entertain their guests or children who come to visit the way they used to when they lived in a larger single family home”, Mahboubi adds. “So the kitchen and living area needs to be both functional and strikingly beautiful. It needs to be open and bright.”
Condo Living Magazine
SHARED AMENITIES: ARMS RACE IN FANCY IN-HOUSE AMENITIES IN CONDOS
Parham Mahboubi, Vice President, Planning & Marketing, Qualex Landmark tells me “When we design building common areas and amenities, we are thoughtful of how these spaces contribute to bringing neighbours together.”
Reported by Richard White for Condo Living Magazine.
SHARED AMENITIES: ARMS RACE IN FANCY IN-HOUSE AMENITIES IN CONDOS
Posted on Sep 6, 2018
There seems to be a bit of “one-upmanship” happening, these days in Calgary when it comes to condo amenities. Bruce McKenzie, Vice President, Business Development, NORR Architects Engineers Planners tells me they are working on a project that will have luxury guest suites in a prime location looking out onto the Elbow River, a jogging/walking track, a large garden also overlooking the Elbow River and a solar cell phone charging area. It will even have its own dog park.
He also notes their University District’s Rhapsody condo, which will have 288 units exclusively for rent, will have a huge rooftop deck with everything from cabanas and barbecue stations to bocce courts. As far as in-house amenities go, McKenzie says, “It seems like everyone is trying to outdo the next guy!”
This may well have started in about 2014 when the upscale Concord condo was announced with its all-season garden (i.e. garden in the summer; private skating rink in the winter), two-story garages so you can store all of your four and two-wheel toys and even have your own workbench. There is also a golf simulator, luxury pool area with its own resort-like lounge, as well as a high-end workout/yoga studio.
Not to be outdone Qualex/Landmark did away with the penthouse suites in their Mark on 10th project, replacing them with amazing rooftop amenities for all residents. This includes an outdoor barbecue area with a large hot tub with spectacular mountain views and a huge lounge area with kitchen floor to ceiling window overlooking downtown.
Even the “no parking” N3 condo project in East Village, has a spectacular outdoor roof-top amenity with great vies of new Central Library, the National Music Centre, Stampede Park, downtown, Bow and Elbow Rivers and the Rockies. It also has an attractive indoor roof-top exercise room and the best big storage system in the city. The BBQ area has become the communal living room for all the residents. Right outside their front door is the funky Brewer’s Apprentice offering 48 beers on tap that you can take home and just around the corner is Tim Hortons.
Parham Mahboubi, Vice President, Planning & Marketing, Qualex Landmark tells me “When we design building common areas and amenities, we are thoughtful of how these spaces contribute to bringing neighbours together. For example, in Park Point, about 9,000 square-feet of amenity areas offer homeowners a place to converge, whether it is the outdoor Zen Terrace, the infrared sauna, gym, yoga/pilates spaces or the outdoor lounge and barbecue area. It is near impossible to enter these spaces without interacting with neighbours. Even the Park Point lobby is designed with an inviting lounge seating area that creates yet another space for homeowners to interact and have a social gathering space.”
Last word
My only concern in the trend to build these fancy in-house amenities in new condos is that they may ultimately just take away from the whole idea of inner-city condos increasing the number of people living in the City Center to create more street life. In theory, the new urbanites would mix and mingle in their neighbourhood cafes, lounges, bistros, yoga/fitness studios, parks and pathways — be that Beltline, East Village, Eau Clare, Downtown or Mission. Who is going to do that when you have your own lounges, fitness areas, pools, hot tubs and park-like spaces in your own building?
Could it be that new City Centre condos in Calgary have too many amenities?
This just in… After writing this, I happened upon Minto Communities’ Annex project in Kensington designed by Nyhoff Architecture. I learned they will have a multi-use roof-top that will include dog run, a fire pit area, BBQs and what looks like a shuffleboard area. I wonder what is next!
Reported by Richard White for Condo Living Magazine.
The Calgary Herald
PARK POINT CURTAINS RISE ON NEW VIEWS OF AN HISTORICAL PARK
“… as vice-president of planning and marketing Parham Mahboubi put it: “35 months in the making, but worth the wait.”.
Reported by Barb Livingstone for The Calgary Herald
PARK POINT CURTAINS RISE ON NEW VIEWS OF AN HISTORICAL PARK
Posted on Aug 20, 2018
Qualex-Landmark never doubted Calgary’s resiliency, as it launched its $110 million Park Point project in 2015 at the beginning of the city’s downturn.
“Whether booming or bust, Calgary is a great place to live,” said Mohammed Esfahani, a founder and president of the company, at the 34-storey tower’s official opening.
As residents have begun their move into their luxury Beltline homes, he described Park Point as the company’s flagship project: “It is our finest work inside and out” in a “very special spot” across from historic Central Memorial Park.
Or as vice-president of planning and marketing Parham Mahboubi put it: “35 months in the making, but worth the wait.”
More than 85 per cent of the 289 Park Point homes have been purchased and a second tower will go ahead once the first building is sold out. Remaining suites range from one bedroom (560 square feet) to two bedroom and den (up to 1056 square feet), to one sub-penthouse of 1,340 square feet (with expansive wrap-around outside deck space). Prices range from the low $300,000s to $1,078,000 for the sub-penthouse.
The project was envisioned, said architect Martin Bruckner of IBI Group, as a landmark, iconic structure enhancing Calgary’s skyline. Its strong black and white vertical façade resembles an exclamation point with the podium at its base as the dot and stepped, wrap around decks and patios offering park, city, and mountain views.
The interior is rich with natural stone, and residences feature Italian cabinetry, high-end German appliances and fixtures, granite countertops and backsplashes, and spa bathrooms.
The 289-unit building (including eight street level live/work townhomes), at the corner of 2nd Street and 12th Avenue S.W., also features a large gym and yoga/Pilates studio overlooking the park, steam and sauna rooms, a Zen terrace with water feature and seating, and an entertainment room with kitchen and outside patio/barbecue area.
Qualex-Landmark has worked in British Columbia and Alberta for 25 years and has invested heavily in Calgary’s Beltline, with almost $500 million in real estate value (and 1,300 homes) in the past 12 years.
Mahboubi says the company is committed to the area because it is an established, amenity-rich neighbourhood with historic roots and culture, close to downtown. Park Point will eventually be a one-block walk to a subway stop on the new Green LRT Line.
He says while buyers in Park Point have predominantly been somewhere between 30 and 50 years of age, they are spread between first-time buyers, to downsizers, with most being end-users, rather than investors.
One of the attractions of Park Point is its closeness to the two-hectare Central Memorial Park, the city’s oldest park, redeveloped in 2009. Company president Esfahani described access to park living as important — and as increasingly unattainable — as waterfront living.
Area city Coun. Evan Woolley grew up in the Beltline and remembers the park, in the 1980s, as being a place that has evolved, along with the neighbourhood, into an amazing urban playground.
“This is about economic development, thousands of jobs, and private sector investment,” he said of the Park Point project.
Even with expectations that oil and gas will not return to past boom times levels, Woolley said it’s no accident Calgary, with one of the youngest and most educated populations anywhere, is ranked fifth on The Economist magazine’s list of world’s most liveable cities.
Condo Living Magazine
GETTING TO THE POINT: PARK POINT TOPS THE BELTLINE
“Plans remain fluid for the moment on the tower that will share a site adjacent to the just completed Park Point across from Central Memorial Park,” says Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark™ vice-president of planning and marketing.
Reported by Marty Hope for Condo Living Magazine
GETTING TO THE POINT: PARK POINT TOPS THE BELTLINE
Posted on Oct 25, 2017
The most prolific high-rise condo builder in Calgary’s Beltline already has plans about what the next tower will look like. A picture of what Vancouver-based Qualex-Landmark™ has in store for its most popular construction location on the shoulder of the city’s downtown was talked about following the recent topping-off ceremony for the company’s $110-million-dollar, 34-storey Park Point project — the first of two mixed-use towers on the property.
Plans remain fluid for the moment on the tower that will share a site adjacent to the just completed Park Point across from Central Memorial Park, says Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark™ vice-president of planning and marketing.
“The preliminary concept shows the second tower at 26 storeys, but that could change a bit in the final design. And we don’t know if it’s going to be called Park Point II or whether it takes on an entirely different brand and name. So, the short answer is ‘we don’t know yet,’” he says.
While Calgary continues to regain economic ground lost during the most recent oil-fuelled recession, Qualex-Landmark™ has not settled on a specific date for the start of the next tower, either.
“We don’t have a definitive date for launch of the second tower yet. However, we will be considering pre-construction sales of it when the first tower is virtually sold out,” Mahboubi adds.
Currently, more than 70 per cent of Park Point’s 288 one-, two- and three- bedroom residences and townhomes have been snapped up since construction on the tower started in the fall of 2015.
“We are thrilled to be delivering another iconic condo tower in Calgary’s Beltline community,” says Qualex-Landmark president Mohammed Esfahani. “And we look forward to welcoming our homeowners next summer.”
Designed by IBI Group, Park Point has a long list of indoor and outdoor amenities and a unique vertical look to it. As the building rises, the floorplate grows, creating a stepped effect with colour enhancing the pattern. From the street, a double-height lobby with distinctive canopy will just add to the prestigious feel of the tower. Located atop the tower podium on the third floor, Park Point will have nearly 9,000 square feet of amenities, including a Zen terrace with seating and water feature, a second area with fire pit, barbecue, and harvest table, and a sun deck overlooking Central Memorial Park.
Inside Park Point is a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga and pilates studio, steam room, sauna and change rooms with showers.
Park Point is the latest in a string of projects by Qualex-Landmark in the Beltline, following in the wake of Calla, Stella, Nova, Luna, and Mark on 10th.
Matter of fact, in the past decade the company has accounted for some $400 million worth of construction and has contributed 1,000 new high-rise homes to the neighbourhood.
“Not many can boast about such an accomplishment,” says Esfahani, adding that the company has always been bullish about Calgary and its real estate market.
“We’ve already been through two economic swings over the last 12 years, and we have always persevered, just as we have with Park Point. Our commitment to homebuyers and our faith in Calgary has enabled us to succeed with Park Point,” he says.
Park Point, though, is the first Esfahani has completed without his business partner Reza Navabi, who passed away in April.
“As partners, we have tried to be visionaries with a great passion for the projects we develop, and we have tried to always deliver on our promise to homeowners. We are extremely proud of achieving another milestone with the topping off of our Park Point tower,” he said during the rooftop ceremony.
Reported by Marty Hope for Condo Living Magazine
The Calgary Herald
ART INSTALLATION BY DOUGLAS COUPLAND UNVEILED AT BELTLINE CONDO COMPLEX
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, said while it was a private commission and in the lobby of private residences, he says he hopes it benefits the community in general. The open concept of the lobby — the windows were covered as the piece was installed — ensures that the artwork can be seen by passersby. “It’s not just for the residents, who really appreciate having amazing artwork in their building,” he said. “It’s also for the neighbourhood. This is considered the Beltline’s emerging Design District, so we felt this was a very appropriate addition to the neighbourhood and promoting the whole notion of art in the Beltline.”
Reported by Eric Volmers for the Calgary Herald
ART INSTALLATION BY DOUGLAS COUPLAND UNVEILED AT BELTLINE CONDO COMPLEX
Posted on May 7, 2016
It was four long years ago that Douglas Coupland first envisioned the concept: an eye-catching series of coloured targets on the wall of the lobby of a luxury condominium complex in Calgary’s Design District.
Writer and artist Douglas Coupland unveils his new art project in the lobby of Mark on 10th In Calgary on Friday. ANDY MAXWELL MAWJI / CALGARY HERALD
Each target would represent something that personified Calgary in some way, whether it be a wild rose, a snowy owl, a bonspiel or hockey.
The installation was finally unveiled on Friday, with the renowned Vancouver-based artist and author on hand to talk to media in the lobby of the luxury $100-million condo project. Large-scale art installations are nothing new for Coupland, but he admits that seeing the project in full, multicolour glory as opposed to drawings or through SketchUp 3D models was somewhat surreal even for him.
“I’ve looked at the renderings and SketchUp files so often now that there’s this sense of actual disbelief that it actually exists,” says Coupland on Friday morning. “I think architects must get that all the time. It worked beautifully. I just want to eat them. They are kind of delicious.”
It’s called Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century and towers above the concierge desk in the lobby of the 35-storey, $100-million condo project. The unveiling also marked the completion of the condo project’s construction, which means more than 450 Calgarians who live in the 274 luxury suites will soon be making their way past Coupland’s installation on a daily basis.
The fact that the building is called MARK was a good jumping off point for Coupland, who once said he saw the individual aluminum targets as representing “little kabooms of colour” in Calgary’s urban landscape. The 4.9-metre high and 4.1- metre wide installation is his first large-scale art project in Alberta.
Using what Coupland calls “the chocolate-box map” that labels what each of the 20 circles represents — which also includes golden rod, burrowing owl and fireweed — Coupland says he hopes the residents form a long-term relationship with the piece.
“I just want people to be able to walk through every day and maybe fixate on one, and say ‘What’s that one there? A burrowing owl? Is that the stellers jay? What’s that?’ They will build up a relationship I hope with colours and the forms.”
While Coupland first arrived in the public spotlight as the author of iconic, era-defining novels such as 1991’s Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture and 1994’s Life After God, he is also a graduate of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where he focused on sculpture in the early 1980s.
In the past decade, his profile in the art world has climbed steadily thanks to a number of large-scale public works, including the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial, 2012 in Ottawa, The Red Canoe in Canoe Landing Park in Toronto and the Digital Orca at the Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver.
Recently, he teamed up with Quebec-based fashion retailer Simons for a crowdsourced art project called 3DCanada, which involved the artist visiting seven Canadian cities and scanning customers at Simons stores. Those scans are then put through 3-D printers to create busts of the participants.
He also constructed a seven-foot “self-portrait” of his head at the Vancouver Art Gallery entitled Gumhead, which invited spectators to apply their chewed gum to the sculpture.
MARK on 10th developers Qualex-Landmark took a hands-off approach to Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century, basically giving him a blank wall and vague theme of representing Calgary as the only guidance. Still, Coupland said private commissions are different than gallery works.
“It’s (like) fiction versus non-fiction and different parts of the brain,” he says. “Obviously I write fiction, but then I love writing non-fiction. Non-fiction is always tethered to or grounded to some reality in the world, whether it’s a topic like drugs or ecology or whatever, whereas stuff you do on your own just is what it is. I think that really applies to visual art too. It’s art that is grounded in a specific place and a time and a theme. So in my head, I’ve got four jobs: private art, public art, fiction and non-fiction.
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, said while it was a private commission and in the lobby of private residences, he says he hopes it benefits the community in general. The open concept of the lobby — the windows were covered as the piece was installed — ensures that the artwork can be seen by passersby. “It’s not just for the residents, who really appreciate having amazing artwork in their building,” he said. “It’s also for the neighbourhood. This is considered the Beltline’s emerging Design District, so we felt this was a very appropriate addition to the neighbourhood and promoting the whole notion of art in the Beltline.”
Business in Vancouver
VICTORIA’S BAY CENTRE SELLS IN BLOCKBUSTER DEAL; OILPATCH ANGST OVERBLOWN
Similarly, Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing, with Vancouver’s Qualex-Landmark Group, is working on a fifth tower in the city’s Beltline area and preparing for a sixth. “There is no question that the Calgary economy is closely tied to the energy sector; however, its economy is not as vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices as may be public perception,” he said. “We need to keep in mind that oil prices will not remain low forever.”
Reported by Peter Mitham for Business in Vancouver
VICTORIA’S BAY CENTRE SELLS IN BLOCKBUSTER DEAL; OILPATCH ANGST OVERBLOWN
Posted on Mar 9, 2015
Capital city
Chalk up another major deal for downtown Victoria: with last year’s sale of the Fairmont Empress Hotel to Nat Bosa rocking local real estate charts at $50 million, this year has started with a deal for more than double that price with Manulife’s Standard Life Real Estate Fund acquiring the Bay Centre at 1150 Douglas Street.
While the deal’s exact value isn’t disclosed, the Westcliff Group and LaSalle Investment Management acquired the 407,000-square-foot property in 2010 for approximately $90 million. BC Assessment records peg its current value at $97.5 million. CBRE Ltd. reports that Canada’s pension funds are boosting their investment in real estate, competing with other investors to place capital in a limited supply of assets. Competition means a value north of $100 million for the Bay Centre is not improbable. (Manulife declined comment.)
Victoria’s Bay Centre claims approximately seven million visitors annually, versus approximately 25 million through Metropolis at Metrotown.
Tourists are a key source of shoppers, and Avison Young principal Michael Gill, who with principal Bob Levine brokered the off-market deal, said Manulife is counting on this strength combining with proposed zoning changes in Victoria’s downtown to buoy the mall’s fortunes in the years to come.
“[Manulife’s] buying it for the long term,” Gill said. “They recognize that over the next decade or so the fortunes of Victoria are going to improve and this property will benefit, being right in the heart of the activity.”
Building confidence
There’s been plenty of angst in the media about the downturn in oil prices, and for those affected by layoffs the impact is no laughing matter.
But the effects on the real estate sector, which seems to grab the headlines when economic shocks hit, are somewhat like the reported death of Mark Twain.
“The outcomes are really exaggerated in the headlines,” quipped Eric Carlson, president of Anthem Properties Group. “My anecdotal data is ‘cautiously OK’ – we’ll get through this.”
Indeed, the benchmark price for homes in Calgary slipped just $200 between November and January, hardly a collapse even if sales activity has pulled back.
Buyers are being “intelligently cautious,” said Carlson, who saw strong demand for Anthem’s Waterfront project in the Eau Claire district last fall and since mid-January has sold 14 of the project’s remaining units.
“We’re still doing business, there’s still well over a million people here and they’re still employed,” he said. “We’re still pumping a lot of oil out of Alberta. That economy is still there.”
Similarly, Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing, with Vancouver’s Qualex-Landmark Group, is working on a fifth tower in the city’s Beltline area and preparing for a sixth. “There is no question that the Calgary economy is closely tied to the energy sector; however, its economy is not as vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices as may be public perception,” he said. “We need to keep in mind that oil prices will not remain low forever.”
That’s also the faith of James Askew, president of RareEarth Project Marketing Ltd., which is expanding to Calgary later this year to handle a second project in the city for Vancouver’s Ledcor Properties Inc.
“The fundamentals are really there for Calgary, overall,” Askew said. “If you need to sell right now, it’s probably making you very nervous. But if you want to buy, there’s tremendous opportunities that will be out there over the next three to eight months.”
Okanagan optimism
Projects in the Okanagan are taking fears of knock-on effects from Alberta’s turmoil on the chin. Greyback Construction Ltd. and PIB Development Corp. are planning to launch sales for the second and third phases of the Skaha Hills project in Penticton by summer; farther north in Kelowna, Mission Group Homes LP’s 66-unit U-One project near the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus is 87% sold.
Pitched to prospective purchasers as a rental play that could net investors $400 a month profit on a three-bedroom unit; a dozen units have sold over the course of the past month.
The sales gave Mission Group the confidence last week to announce the first phase of U-Two, an adjacent project that will ultimately have 112 units divided equally between two phases.
New Condo Guide
PARK POINT WINS TWO SILVER AWARDS AT INTERNATIONAL BUILDER’S SHOW
“I beleive it was our meticulous attention to detail against our competitors across North America that granted us a silver medal for Best Presentation Centre,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing, Qualex-Landmark™. “If you’ve been inside our presentation centre, you’ll be immersed in a strikingly elegant and welcoming space that demonstrates the premium quality finishes of the future Park Point residential tower. These finishes, along with the simulated views from the model suite, offer homebuyers a glimpse of what downtown living is about.”
Reported by New Condo Guide
PARK POINT WINS TWO SILVER AWARDS AT INTERNATIONAL BUILDER’S SHOW
Posted on Apr 1, 2016
Qualex-Landmark was awarded two accolades at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. Presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Park Point won two silver awards for Best Presentation Centre and Best Interior Merchandising of a Model under $350,000. The two accolades further strengthen Qualex-Landmark™’s award-winning portfolio.
Park Point Discovery Centre – 301 11th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB
Located in the heart of Calgary’s Beltline and rising 34 storeys, Park Point is the newest residential tower addition to the Qualex-Landmark™ group’s portfolio and represents $110 million in downtown Calgary’s real estate value. Park Point features 289 homes and is located in the heart of Calgary’s rapidly evolving, amenity rich, centralized and diverse urban City Centre, on 12th Avenue and 2nd Street SW. Its presentation centre consists of two meticulously planned and furnished display suites that reflect its high quality design.
“I beleive it was our meticulous attention to detail against our competitors across North America that granted us a silver medal for Best Presentation Centre,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing, Qualex-Landmark™. “If you’ve been inside our presentation centre, you’ll be immersed in a strikingly elegant and welcoming space that demonstrates the premium quality finishes of the future Park Point residential tower. These finishes, along with the simulated views from the model suite, offer homebuyers a glimpse of what downtown living is about.”
Situated across from the historic Central Memorial Park, one of Canada’s oldest urban parks, Park Point offers an active and carefree lifestyle in the thriving and evolving Beltline. Residents will enjoy first-class views toward the Rocky Mountains, Central Memorial Park and the striking downtown skyline and beyond.
While Qualex-Landmar™ usually utilizes existing retail space in building to create a discovery centre, Park Point’s was custom designed and built from the ground up. The interiors were carefully planned and designed to create a comfortable and immersive environment that is both attractive and informative to the homebuyer searching for a true-to-life experience before making an informed purchase decision. The presentation centre was the result of the extensive collaboration between multiple design specialists with expertise in creative design, interior design, architecture, signage, digital visualization, AV and lighting design.
Park Point has been recognized for its interior merchandising, winning silver in Best Interior Merchandising of a Model under $350,000. Park Point reflects a design that is modern, sleek and timeless. All kitchens come standard with granite slab countertop and backsplash. The premium finish is available in three designer colour palettes. Designed to promote functional living, the merchandise in Park Point’s show suite intensifies and contrasts with the striking granite slabs and finishes of the kitchen and bathroom.
“The real granite slab countertop and backsplash is a very unique kitchen feature and has been a huge hit with homebuyers,” says Jordan Beach, vice-president sales and service, Qualex-Landmark™. “The performance and arrangement of this home was about creating a smaller space that is efficient and would appeal to first time homebuyers and the younger demographic. This came down to the careful placement and scale of furnishings, which complement the cabinetry, appliances and hardware throughout the suite.”
Park Point is the sixth downtown Calgary residential condominium tower in the Qualex-Landmark™ group portfolio in Calgary. It features one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, street-level live-work townhomes and penthouses, and will further diversify Calgary’s centralized higher-density, mixed-use residential neighbourhood. Construction on Park Point is anticipated to be complete by mid-2018. The NAHB International Builders’ Show is the largest annual residential housing construction trade event for manufacturers and suppliers of home construction products and services in the United States.
Reported by New Condo Guide
The Calgary Herald
OPEN CONCEPT ENSURES THERE’S SPACE TO ENTERTAIN GRACIOUSLY
“Unlike the traditional single-family house, where the kitchen, dining and living rooms are all broken up and separated by walls, we have found that the open-concept design in our condos promotes a more intimate interface is created between the kitchen area and the living or dining areas,” Mahboubi adds. “It creates opportunities for the host to maintain a more social environment in a shared space where the guests are in the host’s line of sight, so the host feels that they are not ignoring the guests while making preparations in the kitchen. More often, guests enjoy dialogue with their hosts while meal preparations are underway.”
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald
OPEN CONCEPT ENSURES THERE’S SPACE TO ENTERTAIN GRACIOUSLY
Posted on Dec 18, 2015
Whether it’s friends over for eggnog and a gift exchange or extended family for a turkey feast — December is a time when entertaining spaces are put to the test.
“You think about experiencing your home with others. We can’t help it,” says Cardel Lifestyles sales and marketing manager Brad Logel. His company’s current developments include Cranston Ridge, Auburn Walk, Nolan Park and Walden Place. “Even though it doesn’t happen as much as we all think it does — that’s the first thing you think about when looking at a place. You want to share it with the people you know and love.”
For apartment-style condos, there are a number of elements buyers can look for when deciding if the place they have their eye on will make hosting a success.
Topping the checklist? Keep dividing walls to a minimum.
“We have found that the open-concept floor plan design lends itself well to entertaining guests,” says Parham Mahboubi, Qualex-Landmark’s vice-president of planning and marketing. He says this orientation is more efficient for circulation and movement. Qualex-Landmark is behind Beltline condo towers Park Point, Mark on 10th, Calla and Luna.
“Unlike the traditional single-family house, where the kitchen, dining and living rooms are all broken up and separated by walls, we have found that the open-concept design in our condos promotes a more intimate interface is created between the kitchen area and the living or dining areas,” Mahboubi adds. “It creates opportunities for the host to maintain a more social environment in a shared space where the guests are in the host’s line of sight, so the host feels that they are not ignoring the guests while making preparations in the kitchen. More often, guests enjoy dialogue with their hosts while meal preparations are underway.”
When Tony Trutina of Truman Homes puts pen to paper on a new condo plan, “creating a functional space that is as open as possible is the main idea,” he says. His company’s developments includes Orchard Sky in SkyView Ranch, 1741 in Killarney/Shaganappi and Glenbrook Park.
When thinking about how his buyers will host, Trutina says the cooking space is a key ingredient.
“The kitchen is the hub of all households and is the main focal point in when creating a floor plan that is conducive to entertaining,” says Trutina. “This usually means, for us, ample counter top space and cabinets so the hub doesn’t get cluttered with countertop appliances, pots and pans.”
This clears up space for guests to bring their drinks and appetizers to the extended eating bar or island as the host puts the finishing touches on dinner.
“The good conversations are happening around the island,” says Brad Logel, adding large islands are part of many of Cardel Lifestyles’ floor plans. “It give you the ability to socialize while you work and your guests can also assist you on the other side.
‘Can I get you to open this bottle of wine? Would you mind mixing the salad for me? I’m going to check the turkey.’ ”
Mahboubi agrees, the ability to socialize within the kitchen is vital to any get-together, and reiterates the importance of keeping things open.
“When the meal is ready, it can be served right at the kitchen island or if there is separate dining room, guests and hosts still generally occupy the same shared space,” says Mahboubi. “Occupying this shared space throughout the evening whether socializing or dining, helps everyone feel connected and relaxed.”
But a fun conversation in the kitchen doesn’t mean much if people are shoulder-to-shoulder during dinner. A floor plan with generous space for the table is another thing to look for.
“If you can’t get four to six people to sit comfortably at the table then the design, to us, doesn’t function well,” Trutina says.
A table with a leaf extension can turn a table of six into seating for eight or 10. Having an open-concept orientation means there’s flexibility to temporarily make the dining space larger than it typically is.
“Depending on the number of guests you have, you need to be able to expand that dining room table,” Logel says. “Obviously open-concepts work well for this because your kitchen and dining area can expand and contract back to normal size for the next day when you don’t have that many people.”
Not to be forgotten is the great room. In some cases, this is where there’s a refill on that glass of merlot and a comfortable place for a gift exchange. Setting up a space where there isn’t the necessity for people to sit on the floor is something worth looking for.
“You have to have a living room that is large enough to have more than just one type of sitting furniture,” Logel says. “Maybe a love seat and two good chairs … depending on the number of guests you have.”
Open plans have a number of advantages, but spaces that feel individual can also be appealing.
“The kitchen area should flow nicely into the main family room where wine and cheese can be enjoyed without feeling like you’re still in the kitchen,” Trutina adds. “Accent lighting and the proper placement of the lighting in the family room helps frame and define, creating a better sense of a larger free-flowing space.”
Closets can sometimes be overlooked, but when entertaining, the simple luxury of a place for coats, hats, scarves and gloves make a difference.
“How many times have you been to other people’s place and ‘OK, you have to throw all the jackets in the bedroom on to the bed.’ Or we’re throwing them on the den’s desk table,’” says Logel. “So you need closet space, and if you have additional storage space, then you’re not having to worry about trying to transform something else.”
Condo Living Magazine
CONDOSCAPES – BETTING ON THE BELTLINE
The renaissance over the past 10+ years of Calgary’s Beltline community as a very desirable place fascinate me. Recently Parham Mahboubi, Vice-President, Planning & Marketing, Qualex-Landmark™ shared with me his insights into how new Beltline home buyer has changed given his role as developer of six condos totally 1,000+ new homes in this vibrant inner-city community just outside the downtown core.
Reported by Richard White for Condo Living Magazine
CONDOSCAPES – BETTING ON THE BELTLINE
Posted on Apr 1, 2017
Qualex-Landmark goes all in on the Beltline. Here’s why.
The renaissance over the past 10+ years of Calgary’s Beltline community as a very desirable place fascinate me. Recently Parham Mahboubi, Vice-President, Planning & Marketing, Qualex-Landmark™ shared with me his insights into how new Beltline home buyer has changed given his role as developer of six condos totally 1,000+ new homes in this vibrant inner-city community just outside the downtown core.
Why did you choose the Beltline community?
Location is a big part of Qualex-Landmark’s™ investment decisions when acquiring land, just as much as it is for the homebuyer who is making the biggest investment decision of their life.
We chose to develop in Calgary’s Beltline Community because it is an established community within walking distance to every amenity imaginable — restaurants, cafes, lounges, pubs, nightclubs, art galleries, grocery stores, boutiques, and of course the downtown business core.
I also love that it is a quieter neighbourhood with many heritage ties that contribute to a strong sense of identity and community.
Why have you continued to build all of your projects in the Beltline?
Since acquiring our first property in 2002, we have observed how much positive attention this community has received from numerous stakeholders. We have also seen how the City of Calgary has identified the Beltline as one of the priority communities to achieve its vision of growth.
We believe we have made an important contribution in the transformation of the Beltline alongside other developers and visionary City staff. We love the new bike lanes, the improved parks like Barb Scott and Thompson Family Park.
How has the Beltline changed over the years?
Over the last decade, the Beltline has undergone many positive changes with numerous new mixed-use residential condo projects, revitalization of parks and streets, introduction of public art, the new Cycle Track, and hopefully soon the introduction of the Green Line.
Has Qualex-Landmark™ introduced any new innovations in condo living to the Calgary market?
Qualex-Landmark™ believes in timeless innovation, rather than trendy innovation. Our projects are intended to instil a modern look and feel today as it would in the future, and not become out-dated due to technology that quickly becomes obsolete.
The rooftop amenities in MARK on 10th, was a first for Calgary. We decided instead of a creating one or two penthouse homes, we would make the rooftop, with its lounge, BBQ, kitchen, hot tub and other amenities available to all residents. It has been very well received.
How has the condo buyer changed over the years?
Slight shifts are occurring as condo living becomes less fearful and better understood by the older demographic; however, the bulk of our purchasers are in the 30 to 40 year range.
The younger demographic is also growing, looking to get into the market and less concerned about unit size, more concern about centrality and seeing a return on their investment.
Average condo unit sizes have decreased about 15 per cent, but layouts have become far more efficient, cancelling out the reduction in size.
Ten years ago, projects had a very high investor demographic; today we are seeing a much higher mix of actual residents buying.
Has the demand for car and bike parking changed?
The price point of new Beltline condos seems to be the main contributing factor to homebuyers opting out of a vehicle stall.
While we’ve seen a shift in homebuyers becoming less car dependent, this is more applicable to first time homebuyers, particularly the younger professionals and millennials. Some of these buyers are living in the Beltline because they can work and live downtown without the need for a vehicle. They can save $30,000 on the purchase price of the condo and use car2go, Uber and car rentals when walking and cycling isn’t an option.
The resistance to buying a condo without parking mainly comes from investors driven by the concern over resale and market demand for a unit without a vehicle-parking stall.
Reported by Richard White for Condo Living Magazine
The Calgary Herald
LIVE-WORK OFFERINGS ATTRACTING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SET
“We really wanted to provide entrepreneurial homebuyers the option to set up an identifiable business out of the home with business signage and employees,” says Mahboubi.
Reported by Andrea Cox for Calgary Herald
LIVE-WORK OFFERINGS ATTRACTING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SET
Posted on Oct 1, 2018
Kevin Wenzel and Kyla Filliol love their new home live-work home at Park Point. The concept of live-work home design, where one has a home and a business under the same roof, is taking off. The movement is spurred on by a shift toward human-centric design, increased urban density patterns and the fact that today, unlike previous generations, people’s lives are very interconnected — live, work and play happens simultaneously.
Kyla Filliol, 38, is part of a growing demographic, one of Calgary’s 128,000 self-employed entrepreneurs. In Calgary, entrepreneurism is an area of employment that has experienced 11.1 percent growth over the past 10 years, with those in the 35 to 54 year age bracket making the greatest move in breaking the traditional work cycle chain.
But Filliol has taken entrepreneurism a step further. She runs a home-based skin care business, Illuminate Skin Therapies. She’s been running her business from her infill home in Killarney for the past three years. “The business has grown rapidly, and for that reason we have had to look at alternatives,” says Filliol, who transitioned from a professional corporate job. Although she currently operates on a Class 2 home-based business licence, it wasn’t enough for the amount of traffic that her business is now attracting. “We needed to look at a live-work scenario that was commercially zoned,” she says. But, she wanted to retain that home-like feel. Plus she says that having a home-based business has allowed her to keep her overhead down, allowing the business to flourish. So she and her husband, Kevin Wenzel, who owns Calgary Interiors, began their search for a live-work scenario with ample parking, great foot traffic, excellent design and all in a vibrant, thriving neighbourhood. They found what they were looking for at Park Point in Calgary’s inner-city Beltline area, purchasing one of the development’s eight ground-level townhome live-work commercially zoned designs. “There was an enormous amount of parking and we were able to get something really polished — it gave us the level of quality that we wanted in our home and in our business simultaneously,” she says.
The home features 1,045 square feet of space over two levels, with two bedrooms upstairs and two entrances, one for the business, which fronts onto 2nd Street S.W. “The main floor is very professional looking. It is that harmonious combination of home and corporate space. It’s very appealing,” says Filliol.
Developed by Vancouver-based Qualex-Landmark, Park Point was the developer’s first foray into the live-work scene in Calgary. The company took inspiration from Pomaria, a residential live-work project in Vancouver that it recently designed and built. “We recognized the trend for Canadians working from home and believe that there is a demand for the live-work design in Calgary,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark. Of the eight live-work ground-level town-homes in the 289-unit, 34-storey project, four face onto 12th Avenue S.W. and four face onto 2nd Street S.W. Memorial Park is on the building’s doorstep. “We really wanted to provide entrepreneurial homebuyers the option to set up an identifiable business out of the home with business signage and employees,” says Mahboubi. Park Point’s second tower will also offer live-work options.
But buyers aren’t just looking to the city’s core to set up home-based businesses; they are also looking to the suburbs and to satellite communities. A new project by Trico Homes in the city’s west side community of Wentworth is also attracting those looking for live-work residences. Wentworth Pointe offers 83 townhomes, eight of which are zoned for live-work. “They front onto 85th Street S.W., so they take advantage of the foot traffic and get the exposure from the main road,” says Cindy Arevalo, co-area sales manager for Wentworth Pointe. The live-work units are two-storey, three-bedroom, two-car attached garage homes with more than 1,732 square feet of living space. They each have dual entrances, as well as an undeveloped basement. “The whole live-work concept is really becoming a trend. People are seeing the convenience and looking to save money where they can,” says Arevalo.
The west side of Calgary offers all of the amenities available in the downtown core, including top restaurants and shopping, most of which is walkable. “When you have a business here you are not competing with all of those other companies downtown. Plus, there is a real sense of community here where people like to help one another out and keep things local,” says Arevalo.
The city of Airdrie is also bursting with home-based businesses — 1,520 in 2017, which accounts for 62.4 per cent of all of
Airdrie businesses. And developers are
recognizing this trend.
Cove Properties recently developed Chateaux at King’s Heights, a 95-unit, 40-plus condominium development with two live-work zoned homes offering 1,240 square feet of living space on the ground level with two entrances, in-floor heating, brick fireplaces and two bedrooms. “I think that the live-work concept is really coming of age — it is definitely the way of the future,” says Cove Properties’ president, Doug Mazurek.
Community developer Brookfield Residential also has plans to go ahead with a live-work project in Chinook Gate. Certainly the Beltline location was a big draw for Filliol. “We can just walk out the door and hit all of the restaurants and pubs. It’s very exciting. I love the accessibility. Plus many of our clients have businesses in the area, so it’s really great to be able to give back to them. It creates community.”
CREB Now
THE BOOMER EFFECT
Many developers in Calgary are turning their attention to high-density high-rises in the Beltline and other centrally located neighbourhoods to reflect boomers’ demand for stylish, worry-free living, said Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing at Qualex-Landmark—a Vancouver-based development firm which is the force behind Park Point in the Beltline along 12th Avenue S.W. “Over the last decade, we have observed a gradual increase in condo buyers within this demographic driven by their desire for more care-free centralized living options in close proximity and walking distance to amenities such as restaurants, coffee shops and essential services,” he said, noting many of Park Point’s buyers are boomers who are downsizing from larger suburban homes.
Reported by Joel Schlesinger for “creb now”
THE BOOMER EFFECT
Posted on Feb 4, 2016
Aging demographic continues to shape Calgary’s housing market
As the largest segment of the population in North America, baby boomers have undoubtedly shaped our world more than any other age group. And their impact on housing is profound.
Now, while this generation, born between 1946 and 1964, is becoming increasingly gray, the real estate industry is responding to their needs for housing.
Many developers in Calgary are turning their attention to high-density high-rises in the Beltline and other centrally located neighbourhoods to reflect boomers’ demand for stylish, worry-free living, said Parham Mahboubi, vice-president of planning and marketing at Qualex-Landmark—a Vancouver-based development firm which is the force behind Park Point in the Beltline along 12th Avenue S.W.
“Over the last decade, we have observed a gradual increase in condo buyers within this demographic driven by their desire for more care-free centralized living options in close proximity and walking distance to amenities such as restaurants, coffee shops and essential services,” he said, noting many of Park Point’s buyers are boomers who are downsizing from larger suburban homes.
“They want to be able to walk everywhere on a flat grade – no slopes or stairs – and without reliance on a vehicle; however, they want a parking stall for their vehicle for when driving is a necessity.”
While certain housing segments such as apartment-style condos will benefit from downsizing boomers, the real estate market as a whole could be at risk of over-supply as the homeowner demographic shifts in the coming years, notes Hillard MacBeth, director of wealth management with the MacBeth Group Richardson GMP in Edmonton.
MacBeth, who penned the book When the Bubble Bursts: Surviving the Canadian Real Estate Crash, expects boomers will release more housing onto the market than they absorb as they age because some will be selling and moving into non-residential arrangements like nursing homes, or simply passing away.
In the short-term, MacBeth says the current economic conditions will have a much more immediate impact on the housing market than aging boomers. In part, this is because of the high levels of debt among younger earners, many of whom are being laid off or are facing uncertain futures as a result of the faltering energy-based economy.
“Young people who lose jobs will be sellers of real estate, and boomers will choose to stay put as they won’t be able to sell or they won’t like the price offered for their houses if they try to sell,” he said. “Due to lack of entry-level jobs, there will be a dearth of first-time buyers, and move up buyers – key segments of demand that drive housing markets.”
While Real Estate Investment Network senior analyst Don Campbell has seen some boomers relocate to inner-city condos, he does not agree that boomers are fleeing the suburban homes en masse.
“Despite all of the forecasts and conjecture, boomers are not selling their larger, single-family homes and rushing to downsize to condos as one big wave,” he said. “Sure, there is a small percentage taking this route, but what we are discovering is that they do not want to leave the neighbourhoods where they have all of their friends, favorite coffee shops, backyard garden and other favorite localized conveniences.”
Indeed, even Mahboubi admits boomers are not solely responsible for driving condo demand in the inner city. He said the majority of buyers at Park Point are professionals under age 50.
Yet he also argues boomers and younger generations are becoming more aligned in the housing they’re seeking.
“We have found that the home types at Park Point that have larger square footage between 850 to 1,650 square feet have a much greater appeal to this older demographic downsizing from much larger homes in the suburbs,” said Mahboubi.
And while the fortunes of the economy undoubtedly have an effect on the market, Mahboubi said many boomers have been through trough of Calgary’s boom and bust economy before.
“Their experience teaches them that the economy goes through swings and in Calgary has always rebounded,” he says. “They will also thoroughly investigate all options and residential condo projects on the market and then make practical decisions that take advantage of opportunities that make practical and economic sense.”
The Calgary Herald
ARTFUL DESIGN: LANDMARK PIECES OF ART HEIGHTEN COMMUNITY APPEAL
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, says the company’s vision to create a unique, modern, youthful and edgy building was in many ways effectively represented in the commissioned art. “We feel we are not only contributing our part in promoting the arts in the emerging Design District, we are also infusing a new energy and vibrancy into the building.” He says the piece has attracted considerable attention from homebuyers as yet another unique element that sets Mark apart from other developments.
Reported by Barb Livingstone for the Calgary Herald
ARTFUL DESIGN: LANDMARK PIECES OF ART HEIGHTEN COMMUNITY APPEAL
Posted on Apr 16, 2015
At the Mark on 10th project, by Qualex-Landmark, the residential lobby atrium of the Beltline project will feature artwork from one of Canada’s most well known authors and visual designers, Douglas Coupland. It will be the first large scale Coupland piece in Alberta and its series of colourful circles represent modern Calgary.
As Coupland describes his piece: “It is a work that engages the viewer in an ongoing challenge to identify and remember what is depicted — almost like a chocolate box and its map.” Entitled Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century, the art’s unveiling— hopefully by Coupland himself — is expected by the end of this year.
Qualex also introduced the first art piece of its kind in Vancouver into its Pomaria residential tower.
Parham Mahboubi, vice-president planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark, says the company’s vision to create a unique, modern, youthful and edgy building was in many ways effectively represented in the commissioned art. “We feel we are not only contributing our part in promoting the arts in the emerging Design District, we are also infusing a new energy and vibrancy into the building.” He says the piece has attracted considerable attention from homebuyers as yet another unique element that sets Mark apart from other developments.
The Calgary Herald
THE VISION BECOMES REALITY AT PARK POINT
“While modelling and display suites are a huge part of the sales and marketing process and offer incredible tools to help people visualize their future home, once a project is completed nothing compares to the real thing,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark. “It’s taking the experience to an entirely new level.”
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald
THE VISION BECOMES REALITY AT PARK POINT
Posted on May 25, 2018
Kitchen at Park Point.
It’s down to the home stretch for Qualex-Landmark’s $110 million skyscraper in Calgary’s Beltline district. After breaking ground in October 2015, Park Point is about 90 per cent complete and expected to offer first occupancies this August.
Eighty per cent of its 289 condos are now sold, and the remaining options start from the $290,000s.
“While modelling and display suites are a huge part of the sales and marketing process and offer incredible tools to help people visualize their future home, once a project is completed nothing compares to the real thing,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice-president, planning and marketing for Qualex-Landmark. “It’s taking the experience to an entirely new level.”
“When a project is completed, the home starts to live and breathe unlike renderings, which are more static,” he adds. Lobby and amenity areas are more challenging to showcase in pure digital form, Mahboubi says — and for the exterior architecture — “while a miniature scale model or rendering is extremely helpful, it falls short of providing anyone with that awe-inspiring feeling from a completed skyscraper.”
As it nears completion, here are five things about the 34-storey tower — Qualex-Landmark’s sixth development in Calgary:
The views become real
In an upscale highrise, sightlines are a selling feature. Among the assortment of views at Park Point are Central Memorial Park, and others where the Calgary Tower feels within reach.
“For years, we have been able to provide homebuyers with the view outlook from every elevation in a building using blimp aerial photography or more recently drone technology,” says Mahboubi. “The one limitation is that these do not provide the homebuyer with the exact view span until the building is completed.
“For example, your view from the living room or bedroom will be different from the view on the balcony or patio,” he adds. “The balcony side screens, walls or overhead balconies from other suites will also impact view outlook.
“Technology still has a way to go to recreate the true and accurate view outlook experience.”
Kitchens in the spotlight
Many of the condos now have the Armony Cucine full-height cabinets, integrated appliances, and striking granite counters and backsplashes already in place.
“We are after arousing an emotional response in our homebuyers stemming from a thoughtful design package that encompasses the entire kitchen space,” says Mohammed Esfahani, president, Qualex-Landmark.
One of the standout elements in the kitchens at Park Point is a back-lit shelving unit. A blend of functionality and visual interest.
“The tall full-height open storage component LED lit panel in behind, becomes the jewelry of the kitchen, and because it’s back-lit, you get this amazing display and capture,” says Scott Trepp, president, Trepp Design Inc.
Combining two
In three instances, people who bought at Park Point didn’t just get one condo, they selected two. Flexibility available with certain floor plans allowed them the ability to have the developer make them into one home.
“We consciously planned to have a slightly higher proportion of one-bedroom suites at Park Point,” Mahboubi says. “However, we also wanted to provide home buyers a greater diversity of housing choice. We considered the combined suites option as a way to offer homebuyers as much latitude in choosing a home that meets their needs.”
This was Qualex-Landmark’s first time implementing combined suites in a Calgary development. “This approach allowed homebuyers to select from two combinable suites that are side by side to create a larger suite of their choice, and it was certainly well received,” he adds.
The combined suites route resulted in some early design challenges.
“This involved overcoming plumbing and structural hurdles,” Mahboubi says. “For example, plumbing in kitchen and bathrooms still need to be vertically aligned with the suites above and below the combined suite. The suite layout also needed to work around structural walls and columns.
“With a great design team, we were able to produce a larger, beautiful, and open-concept suite.”
Connecting with the park
Whether it’s the backdrop for a sunny afternoon with a good book or views from amenity spaces, or the condos, themselves — Central Memorial Park plays an important role at Park Point. Standing on the now constructed Pilates deck, that connection is clear.
“One of the most significant selling features of the project is Park Point’s location on the beautifully manicured and historic Central Memorial Park,” says Mahboubi. “It is a very valuable visually amenity and backdrop to the building amenities, particularly the view outlook from the indoor/outdoor yoga/pilates areas and the gym and all suites that have a view of the park.”
“We believe that the proximity of the Park Point residential community on Central Memorial Park directly correlates to a healthier lifestyle and the propensity for homeowners to increase their physical activity, either within the project utilizing the building amenity areas, or encouraging them to walk across the street to the Central Memorial Park,” he adds.
Arrival and relaxation
Both the high-end lobby and building’s zen garden are also starting to take shape.
The double-height lobby will boast seating, a stone reception desk, marble flooring, and a luxurious leaf-inspired chandelier above it. There’s a stand-alone wall behind the reception desk wrapped in polished black marble.
At the Zen Terrace — located on the second floor rooftop — placement of the plants give an early taste of what the space will provide residents. Mahboubi says the intention is a “retreat.”
“Three boulders are positioned within a large pan acting as the centrepiece of the Zen Terrace,” he adds. “Each boulder will have a spout sprinkling water out the centre. The boulders are surrounded by a garden with a number of landscape planters in a manicured setting
The Calgary Herald
LIVE-WORK BRINGS DIFFERENT PACE TO LIFESTYLE
“The trend in Calgary is starting to shift,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice president of Qualex-Landmark, Park Point’s developer. “There are many factors, such as traffic, convenience, the ability to have your own work hours. It’s a different lifestyle. More and more companies these days are looking for employees to work from home on occasion to reduce their commute time, so there are efficiencies, tax advantages, there are multiple angles you can look at it from.”
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald
LIVE-WORK BRINGS DIFFERENT PACE TO LIFESTYLE
Posted on Oct 19, 2015
The shop keep with private living quarters above his corner store may have been on the right track.
In an age where smart phones put the connection to professional life just a reach-in-the-pocket away, live-work units are an emerging trend for Calgary’s inner-city. Some new builds near the city core with live-work options on tap include Verve by FRAM+Slokker in East Village, The Guardian and Park Point.
“The trend in Calgary is starting to shift,” says Parham Mahboubi, vice president of Qualex-Landmark, Park Point’s developer. “There are many factors, such as traffic, convenience, the ability to have your own work hours. It’s a different lifestyle. More and more companies these days are looking for employees to work from home on occasion to reduce their commute time, so there are efficiencies, tax advantages, there are multiple angles you can look at it from.”
Park Point is a 34-storey skyscraper in the historic Beltline district. It brought eight live-work townhomes to the market earlier this year, starting from the $680,000s. They include two bedrooms on the second floor and a defined work space on the main. They range in total size from 1,025 to 1,300 square feet. At press time, two have been sold.
In many cases, a live-work unit has a defined office space with the opportunity for professional signage on the main level, with the second and third floors dedicated to a traditional townhome floor plan.
“I think that’s where that entrepreneurial mentality comes into the picture,” says Mahboubi. “Maybe they’re thinking I’ll buy the live-work today, to live, with the possibility of or anticipation of setting up their own business. Maybe as a consultant, maybe as a freelance journalist. There are many different types of businesses that could work from home.”
Kelly Code saw it as a good fit for her business. She bought at the Block by Avi Urban last August, a boutique complex off 17th Avenue S.W. completed in 2014.
“My real estate agent said there was a possibility at the Block and that she would be running her real estate business from it,” Code says. “I’m a landscape architect, so it’s just easy to do. I don’t need a lot of equipment to work from home.”
She’s been in the landscape architecture business for around 20 years and has had her own company for the past two. While Code doesn’t have clients come to her home office for meetings, she says her live-work unit offers that potential.
“A lot of my work is on the computer, doing drawing and research and using the Internet. Most of my clients I visit on site because you need to look at the site,” Code says. “But if they wanted to come to my office, they could.”
But the Block wasn’t Avi Urban’s first step into the live-work realm. The multi-family builder brought on what’s believed to be the city’s first look at the segment with a development in Bridgeland.
“To the best of my knowledge Olive was the first purpose-built multi-family development incorporating live-work homes within its product mix,” says Avi Urban president Charron Ungar. “We worked quite closely with the city in developing a clearer definition on live-work product.”
Avi Urban also teamed up with Sturgess Architecture, ensuring the development had flexible living and working spaces, and was also esthetically pleasing. But Olive’s live-work options weren’t an overnight success.
“The response was great for typical multi-family product but our live-work struggled,” Ungar says. “The public had considerable trouble accepting the value statement for live-work townhomes. Only once we started moving away from traditional messaging and advertising used for residential homes and began experimenting with working with business-related marketing sources were we able to attract buyers.”
It soon caught on as a positive lifestyle choice that made financial sense, turning many buyers away from office towers and toward a work space they could call their own, Ungar adds.
“Architects, doctors, wedding planners, web designers and financial advisors all made the leap. We quickly sold out and the rest is history,” says Ungar.
Ungar since brought live-work townhomes to the community of Currie Barracks and says the company will look for future opportunities to bring the segment into its product mix. In terms of what makes a live-work floor plan a winner, Ungar points to flexibility.
“The needs of businesses vary greatly when it comes to space,” he says. “The size and types of spaces is critical. For example, a doctor or financial advisor’s office might need smaller private spaces, while an architect or web designer would prefer wide open collaborative space. We also dealt with storage issues and access requirements.
Material finishes were important, as was durability. It was a balance between ensuring a warm inviting space in which to live, with a professional efficient place conducive to business.”
Hon Towers is also a believer in live-work, adding this segment to the street front of The Guardian. This two-tower development in Victoria Park is set to offer the tallest residential structures in Calgary.
“I think the live-work unit is definitely a great thing to see in the city,” says Ernest Hon of Hon Towers. “As the urban streetscape continues to develop in the Beltline, these types of units will become increasingly popular. The live-work units also contribute to a lively pedestrian realm.”
Putting pen to paper on a live-work design, Hon echoes Ungar’s comments on the need for flexibility.
“For some of the units that we designed in the Guardian, the open mezzanine level acts like a second-floor bedroom, while the lower level has an open floor plan for work purposes. We imagine it could make a great photo studio, artist’s gallery, meeting space,” says Hon. “I think these units are attractive to many types of people.”
Reported by Josh Skapin of the Calgary Herald