Coquitlam Centre

Clarity & placemaking for a mixed-use development that had lost sight of the bigger picture

Challenge

Re-focus the development of a 59-acre, 1970s shopping mall into a transit-oriented, mixed-use community to establish an overall vision and create a sense of place differentiating the project from similar developments.

Process

Already years in development, the task was to collate the extensive existing research and analysis, fill in any holes, and contextualize the data within larger marketplace trends. From this work, key insights were presented to stakeholders.

Armed with concise knowledge and an understanding of the larger picture, stakeholders were equipped to engage in a visioning session establishing their views of the current project and where they would like to see it positioned in the future. This daylong session was held in person with members of the client and design teams.

Outcome

The research and workshop re-contextualized the stakeholders’ existing asset: the mall itself. It also revealed a rural eastern audience hungry for an urban experience without the longer drive into Vancouver. This re-cast the project not just as a local amenity, but a regional draw.

Taking cues from the original shopping mall’s innovative-for-its-time approach to design, art integration, and indoor/outdoor space, the new development was re-conceptualized as a series of urban neighborhoods celebrating the enduring charm, innovation, and materiality of the mall and creating a distinct sense of place. As it had once been in the 1970s, this again positioned Coquitlam Centre as a unique catalyst for community development in a rapidly maturing region.

Lessons

More isn’t always better. In this case, too much information caused stakeholders to lose sight of overall goals. Though we tried to avoid a similar experience, the visioning workshop was also unwieldy. Next time, I’d split it into 2 half day sessions to be more respectful of stakeholders’ schedules and attention spans.

This project suffered from not having a strong initial vision. Strategy work at the beginning of a project can help avoid confusion and generic solution further down the road.