The Ashlu is a six-storey mixed-use rental building in Downtown Squamish. Within this area of Squamish, the high groundwater table prevents below-grade parking, and an interesting typology has emerged with at-grade commercial, parking on level two, and residential units above. This unique configuration is interpreted as a concept of a “mill/mine” that drives the project design and refers back to the industrial history of Squamish.

The residential levels are conceived as the “mill”, and characterized by a simple gable roof form with clerestory windows and corrugated metal cladding. In contrast, the base of the building is the “mine”, represented by a heavier board-formed concrete that grounds the project in the site. Corten metal panels, recycled from a local site, stitch the two volumes together, providing warmth to the palette, and a nod to the rusted tools of the past.