Photo Credit: Oxygen & Purpose Driven Development
An inspiring new project is breaking ground at the Cambie Corridor in Vancouver, British Columbia! Led by a partnership between Purpose Driven Development and the global non-profit organization Soroptimist International of Vancouver, a new mixed-income affordable housing development will be located at 546 West 13th Street. The first project of its kind in Canada, the building will focus on supporting senior women and single mothers and will provide workforce housing for women-led families in Vancouver.
Soroptimist is an international non-profit organization and a global volunteer organization that “improves the lives of women and girls” by providing access to education and training to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimists are women at their best helping other women to be their best. The organization is composed of business and professional women who unite to make a difference for women.
Purpose Driven Development is a Vancouver-based real estate development and planning firm that has been leading award-winning mixed-use developments to create communities where everyone can thrive. For over two decades, Purpose Driven has partnered with developers, governments, First Nations and non-profits to deliver over $1 billion in complex, mixed-used real estate developments in Canada’s top markets.
Non-profit organization Soroptimist International of Vancouver and Vancouver-based developer Purpose Driven Development have partnered on an innovative redevelopment project that will bring 135 affordable rental homes to workforce women, senior women and women-led families. Demonstrating the leadership of women in a male-dominated sector is the first development project in Western Canada being developed, designed and delivered by a team composed entirely of highly-qualified women. 546 West 13th will help to close the glaring gap in the housing needs of women by providing affordable “Housing for Women By Women”. The group includes a curated team of female architects, engineers, development leads and construction workers. With the right people in the right places, this project will challenge standard design assumptions to ensure the space is optimally designed to actively improve the lives of the women and families that will soon occupy the building.
Williams Engineering (WE) and our sister company, Umbra Engineering, are proud to join forces with this incredible team to provide housing for women, by women. Together, WE and Umbra Engineering are completing the electrical and security design for this impactful project, furthering our purpose of creating safe and resilient spaces where women feel included, recognized and valued. Once completed, this project will significantly impact female communities within Vancouver and further promote inclusivity and gender diversity within our industry.
