The Gastown Mercantile
Water Street, Vancouver, BC
This one nearly broke my heart when we first walked in. Someone in the 70s had covered the entire brick facade with cement board - can you believe that? Took us three months just to carefully remove it without damaging the original masonry underneath. Found the builder's mark carved into a cornerstone though, which made it all worth it.
Key Challenges:
- Seismic upgrading while maintaining facade integrity
- Matching 134-year-old brick from heritage suppliers
- Installing modern HVAC without visible exterior changes
"Working with Phoenix Vale meant our building's history was treated with real respect. They found solutions we didn't think were possible." - Property Owner
Shaughnessy Manor Revival
Shaughnessy, Vancouver, BC
Honestly? This project kept me up at night. The family wanted modern functionality but the house had these incredible original features - we're talking hand-carved mahogany staircases and twelve different types of period moulding. The trick was hiding all the tech and modern conveniences where they couldn't mess with the historical vibe.
What We Preserved:
- All 37 original stained glass windows
- Period-appropriate electrical fixtures (rewired safely)
- Original hardwood floors - just needed proper refinishing
- Servants' bells system (non-functional but historically significant)
Fun fact: We found newspapers from 1912 used as insulation in the walls. Donated them to the city archives.
Granville Island Warehouse
Granville Island, Vancouver, BC
This warehouse used to store fishing equipment and smelled like it, even after 40 years of being empty. But those timber beams? Absolutely massive old-growth Douglas fir that you just can't get anymore. We knew we had to keep them exposed - they tell the building's story better than any plaque could.
Transformation Notes:
- Converted to artist studios and retail space
- Preserved original loading dock as architectural feature
- Kept industrial rail tracks embedded in concrete floors
- Restored original skylight system for natural lighting
Recognition
Heritage Vancouver Award for Adaptive Reuse - 2023
Capitol Theatre Renewal
Main Street, Vancouver, BC
Man, old theatres are a different beast entirely. The plaster work alone took specialists from three different trades. And that neon sign? We had to track down a guy in Seattle who still knows how to bend glass tubing the old way because modern LED replacements just don't capture the same glow.
The acoustics were actually better before someone installed drop ceilings in the 80s - took those out and suddenly you could hear a pin drop from the back row again. Sometimes the old ways really were better, y'know?
Decorative Elements
- • Hand-restored plaster mouldings
- • Original paint color matching
- • Art deco brass fixtures
- • Terrazzo floor restoration
Modern Updates
- • LED house lighting (period-appropriate fixtures)
- • Updated fire suppression systems
- • Accessibility improvements
- • Climate control integration
"They didn't just restore our theatre - they brought back its soul. Opening night felt like stepping into 1930 all over again."