The Alyster Apartments

Development’s architecture elevates historical context

The Alyster Apartments is a new multi-family community in Vancouver’s Columbia Palisades development. The 5-story building sits elevated on a hill overlooking the Columbia River and the design is inspired by the site’s history as a rock quarry, with architectural detailing and materiality taking cues from its industrial past. Scott Edwards Architecture partnered closely with the client to take an existing concept developed by Steelhead Architecture and build upon the vision. The result is a contextualized building that thoughtfully connects the interior and exterior to provide a cohesive experience and creates an elevated interior environment offering spaces that support a Pacific Northwest lifestyle.

Client
Romano Capital

Location
Vancouver, WA

Size
122,290 sf
102 Apartments

Year
In Progress

render of the alyster apartments in vancouver washington

The Alyster is informed by the site’s context, both present-day and historical, and the design takes opportunities to connect how people experience the space within that framework. The exterior is characterized by two volumes and an intricately designed detailing on the facade that forms a raised grid—in places, the grid reveals the paneling below, an architectural moment inspired by quarries, and the revealing of rocks below layers of other elements.

The activated ground floor offers resident and visitor amenities, like a gym, kayak storage room, and co-working area, on one end, and short-term residential living spaces on the other. Levels two through five comprise a mix of 1-2-and-3 bedroom apartments, along with an inviting communal space. The interior design’s materiality aligns with the exterior, using a complementary palette of metals and textures that create a cohesive design language throughout the development. Apartments feature ample natural light, warm, bold finishes, and access to views and outdoor living spaces like balconies and terraces.