Dockside Green: A Unique Community to Join
As the sun rose in the sky it cast a familiar orange glow. However, I wasn’t watching it rise across a remote lake in the middle of nowhere – the early morning sun was falling across a serene face in the middle of downtown Victoria, a bustling metropolitan city in British Columbia. What was interesting was that the face wasn’t lit by early morning rays – it was lit up from the inside – tranquility radiating out from it.
I was watching the weekly rooftop sunrise yoga session at Dockside Green. For me it was almost unspeakably early, but for the happy residents, the sunrise workout was just another benefit of the community; it was something to look forward to, another perk of owning a condo at Dockside Green.
Dockside Green is a development that’s racked up some big awards and press attention – the revolutionary development has scored a glowing write up in the New York Times, awards like the CHBA-Canada SAM Awards Grand SAM, the CHBA-BC GEORGIE Awards Residential Development of the Year, the FCM Sustainable Communities Brownfield Award and inspired similar projects all over the world.
Offerings like sunrise yoga, a dock to launch a kayak or catch the harbour ferry, onsite water treatment, a biomass heat generation plant and a naturalized creek system that doubles as a stormwater management system all tie together into the philosophy of the masterplanned community. While most developments are built with no other purpose than to sell some condos and make some money, Dockside Green’s motivator is to create balance. Dockside Green touts itself as “a smart place to live” – a development that takes a holistic approach to creating a balanced life. So how does living in a new condo create a physical synergy in your life? Our residents value social interaction, physical activities, their careers, their families and the environment and with that comes an understanding of how all these pieces mesh together to create a life that is dynamic and satisfying. Dockside Green is simply a place that supports these ideals.” says Kelly O’Brien, Manager Operations and Marketing.
Of course, there are other benefits as well. The stunning penthouses for instance feature incredible harbour views, wraparound decks, and have access to a private rooftop patio. Dockside Green isn’t just about redefining how you live in a community – there’s some serious luxury built into the development, from top of the line appliances to the best building materials available, every suite in Dockside Green has gotten the royal treatment.
However, what drew many of the residents was the prospect of living in a sustainable, ecologically sound development, and what is wowing them is how nice it is to live in a community that makes conservation so easy and accessible. Dockside Green have no sewage bill and their potable water bills are 60% lower than people who live in comparable developments. Better yet, because the units are all designed to reduce energy consumption, the average energy bill is 17% lower – which adds up to a lot of savings very quickly.
The more I spoke with Kelly and the more I learned about Dockside Green, the better I began to understand how something as simple as a home actually can help create balance – it actually can be a “smart” place to live. The location, eco-friendly features, incredible shared spaces, and the whole feel really were unique. Dockside Green doesn’t just give you a home; it connects you to a community.