Shoal Point stands as one of the Trust for Sustainable Development’s most celebrated achievements, a $190 million landmark development that transformed a contaminated industrial oil tank farm into Victoria’s premier waterfront address. This award-winning mixed-use community on Victoria’s Inner Harbour proved that brownfield sites could be reimagined as extraordinary places to live, work, and gather.
The Vision
When David Butterfield first saw the derelict industrial site at Fisherman’s Wharf in James Bay, others saw only contamination and decay. Where an oil tank farm had poisoned the land and drug dealers had claimed the shadows, David envisioned a vibrant waterfront community that would reconnect Victoria with its harbour heritage. His ambitious vision would transform one of the city’s most troubled sites into its most prestigious address.
Scope & Design
Completed in 2003, Shoal Point encompasses 161 luxury residential condominiums and 46,000 square feet of commercial space, creating a true mixed-use community on Victoria’s waterfront. With a density ratio of 3.25:1, it became Victoria’s densest large-site development, proving that sustainable intensification could enhance rather than compromise quality of life.
The development’s architecture, designed by Paul Merrick of Merrick Architecture and David Hambleton of Wagg and Hambleton Architects, successfully blends sacred geometries with state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. The building’s distinctive marine-themed ornamentation, featuring hundreds of hand-crafted concrete sculptures by artist Derek Rowe, celebrates the site’s maritime heritage while creating an architectural landmark that has become synonymous with Victoria’s waterfront.
Recognition and Awards
Shoal Point received unprecedented recognition for a Canadian residential development, garnering 14 major awards including:
- Canada’s Best Building (2002) – National Canadian Home Builders Association
- Excellence in Brownfield Redevelopment
- Architectural Excellence Award
- Sustainable Development Leadership Award
- Urban Design Award of Excellence
These accolades recognized not just the project’s architectural merit but its groundbreaking approach to transforming contaminated industrial land into vibrant, sustainable communities.