GESAMTKUNSTWERK

Westbank has built a practice around long-term commitments to artistry, sustainability and city-building. These commitments underlie an orientation towards projects like Woodwards, Vancouver House, Mirvish Village, Telus Garden and Oakridge – catalysts for larger change that go beyond the borders of the projects themselves. We are here to create. To provoke. To ignite. We are the vehicle for a new movement of cultural expression.

As the practice matures, we have become more ambitious. With every new project reflecting our commitment to the philosophy behind Gesamkunstwerk, or in our recent work the Japanese philosophy behind layering, the net effect is that our work becomes much more complex and far-reaching.

The core of Westbank’s mission is to create a body of work with a high degree of artistry that helps foster more equitable and beautiful cities. Westbank is active across Canada and in the United States, with projects including luxury residential, Five Star hotels, retail, office, rental, district energy systems, affordable housing initiatives and public art. Established in 1992, we are one of North America’s leading developers, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and over 25 billion dollars of projects completed or under development.

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Philosophy
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May 02, 2014

Westbank Salon Series: Scot Hein Recap

As the second month of our Westbank Salon Series approaches, we are thrilled with the success and overwhelming positive response and turnout to these intimate dialogues with Vancouver’s eminent city-builders and designers.

Scot Hein is our fourth guest speaker of the series. He began this week’s salon with explaining his backstory to a crowd of 150-plus attendees, as a fellow born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, who came to Vancouver for a change and for an interest in the design happening in the city. Scot discussed the power of drawing (showing some of his originals), spoke about how “design is about the art of refinement and iteration” and answered questions on a light-rail station that is currently included in the Transportation 2040 plan for 16th and Arbutus.

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Congratulations to Neal Lamontagne, our #gwerksalon winner this week! His question inquired about the moment, decision or project that Scot realized how special Vancouver could be through urban design.

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The evening ended with a standing ovation for Scot, who is moving on from the City of Vancouver after nearly two decades — it was a touching and respectful gesture from both his colleagues and the public.

“Vancouver needs to loosen up. We need grit, we need vibrancy, we need peculiar, we need delightful.” – Scot Hein

Our next salon is on May 6, 2014, with Jeff Derksen, a poet and professor of English at Simon Fraser University. RSVP here!

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