Flexible design layouts on offer at innovative Duo Luxury Townhomes in Parksville

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The Vancouver Island community of Parksville, with its expansive, sandy beaches, temperate climate and myriad resort offerings, has long been a favoured destination among vacationers. For some time, however, the oceanside city has also been attracting the attention of another group of people: home hunters.

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Last year, Stats Can pegged the population of Parksville at 13,642, a 9.5-per-cent increase from five years earlier.

“It has all the appeal of a small community, but with easy access to required services and transportation to the Lower Mainland and beyond,” notes Bob Moss, a director of Hirst Avenue Townhouses Sitefinders, which is behind a new 20-unit townhome Parksville project it is calling the Duo Luxury Townhomes.

“The price for both owned and rental housing in Parksville is substantially lower than in the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria, and we anticipate that price differential will continue.”

Moss is also a partner with the Nanaimo-based Tectonica construction management firm, which is building Duo, a project with plans not commonly seen in townhome design.

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Seven of the units at Duo are what the developer is calling “dual primary suites,” homes that measure to more than 2,000 square feet.

They include not one, but two luxurious retreats: large bedrooms that are connected to both ensuite bathooms and big walk-in closets with plenty of storage space.

The possibilities of such a design are broad, says Tectonica’s Michelle Hall, who is overseeing the sales and marketing of Duo, which is holding its grand opening today, unveiling a two-storey show suite that has two bedrooms, a den and a large flex space that could serve as a third bedroom.

Some people, she says, may have an older parent who could share the residence and take the primary suite on the main level. Others may like to entertain guests, who might appreciate kicking back in their own private suite.

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“It might also suit the couple who wants to have their own spaces in case somebody snores,” she adds.

Moss echoes that sentiment, and takes it one step further.

“The original design for the Duo project was led by a developer colleague, Allan Matthews, who was initially intrigued by what he saw as a growing demand by mature couples with different sleeping or work habits to have their own personal space within the household.”

That said, he thinks such flexible residential design could also present options for “co-housing”.

“The increasingly expensive housing market in Canada, together with a growing interest in environmental sustainability, appears to be encouraging various types of co-living. I believe that properly designed housing units will appeal to (people) of all ages considering co-living, such as siblings, friends, parents with adult children and even two couples choosing to live together.”

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The 13 other townhomes at Duo are one-level “patio homes,” each of which also has two bedrooms and a den. Together, the 20 residences, contained in six buildings surrounding a small central courtyard, have numerous luxury finishes, Hall says, citing such things as five-inch-wide engineered hardwood flooring, quartz countertops and ensuites with heated floors and automatic lighting.

“Also,” she says, “in the dual suites, there are two decks and a patio. You get a lot of outdoor living space that you don’t typically get in a townhome.”

The homes have a heightened level of sound separation between units, Hall says, adding that “peekaboo views” of the ocean are on offer from some of the two-level residences.

Outside, they have pitched rooflines, Hardi and stucco finishes and hues that are reflective of their beach-y location: greys and whites, with cedar-look soffits and siding.

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Interiors, meantime, will be outfitted in one of two colour palettes: Birch, which is described as having a ‘modern contrast,’ and Alder, described as being ‘organic earthy.’

Ceilings will rise to nine feet, gas fireplaces with built-in cabinets on either side will provide cheer on grey days and large windows will bring in an abundance of natural light. Storage will be ample, both within the suites and the crawl spaces.

Kitchens will have either slim Shaker or flat-panel cabinets, under-cabinet lighting, double stainless steel sinks and chrome or black cabinet hardware.

Bathrooms will have porcelain tile flooring, large-scale tile surrounds in the tubs and showers, under-cabinet lighting with motion sensors and Kohler shower shelves.

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Residents of Duo who have a connection to Greater Vancouver will have easy access to two island ferry terminals — Departure Bay and Duke Point — while everyone will be minutes from Parksville’s inviting, child-friendly beaches, long noted for the city’s annual sand sculpture competition.

“Residents have fantastic recreational opportunities, including boating, hiking, skiing and golfing,” Moss says. “We believe that the combination of these factors will continue to make Parksville a desirable place to live for people of all ages and from around the world.”

Project: Duo Luxury Townhomes

Project address: 463 Hirst Avenue, Parksville

Developer: Hirst Avenue Townhouses Sitefinders Inc.

Architect: Com-Tech Drafting and Design Services

Interior designer: Patti Ransom Interior Design Inc.

Project size: 20 units with two bedrooms and a den (13 single-storey homes of 1,237 — 1,359 sq. ft. and seven dual primary suite homes of 1,935 — 2,030 sq. ft.)

Price: from $850,000

Completion: Aug. 31, 2022 — Jan. 31, 2023

Sales centre: 106 — 463 Hirst Avenue, Parksville

Hours: 11 a.m. — 3 p.m. Tues — Sat; show suite grand opening today 11 a.m. — 3 p.m.

Telephone: 778-716-0909

Website: duotownhomes.ca