ACDF architecture - Zeidler architecture - One Bear Mountain - BC - Reinventing Without Demolishing Victoria, Canada

2025-09-09

Developed by 360 Pacifica and Terracap, and designed by ACDF Architecture in collaboration with Zeidler Architecture, the One Bear Mountain project in Langford, British Columbia, Canada, presented a rare challenge: realizing an ambitious residential development on a site marked by a massive concrete structure abandoned years earlier by another group of developers. While the original plan envisioned two facing towers, the architects instead opted for a new concept—one better adapted to the context and infused with a renewed vision for the site.

ACDF approached the project with a clear conviction: rather than demolish and start over, it was essential to preserve and reinvent. “Demolishing the concrete structure would have been the easiest solution, but also the most costly from an environmental perspective," says Maxime Frappier, partner at ACDF. "Our first instinct was to see this structure not as a constraint, but as an opportunity.” By working precisely within the existing grid, respecting the placement of columns and the structural lines inherited from the original design, the team minimized changes, thereby reducing the project’s carbon footprint and breathing new life into the dormant podium.

Architecture and materiality

This complete redesign also provided an opportunity to rethink the massing. Instead of replicating the rigid, frontal geometry of the original concept, the architects envisioned soft, curving forms inspired by the undulating lines of the nearby golf course, and the natural contours of the surrounding mountains, particularly Mount Finlayson.

 

“We wanted the tower to embrace its landscape rather than dominate it — to be read as an extension of the site’s natural lines,” Frappier explains.

 

This blur-the-limits approach softens the building’s visual presence, reduces its perceived scale within the neighbourhood, and creates an organic silhouette that blends seamlessly into the landscape.

 

 

While the tower’s curved massing helps to soften its impact, materiality also plays a decisive role. The base is clad in natural stone — a choice that resonates with Bear Mountain’s immediate context, where stone walls are common in shaping the sloped terrain, and with the dramatic rock outcrops that define the landscape. The mineral foundation anchors the building firmly in the site, while imparting a tactile, timeless quality.

“We wanted the base to appear as though it emerged naturally from the ground, as if it had always been there,” notes Frappier.

Above the podium, the tower adopts a horizontal language, defined by a series of continuous balconies. The guardrails, clad at their base in wood paneling and framed with slender white moldings, trace lines that, like couture topstitching, highlight the building’s curves, capture the light, and reflect the shifting moods of the day. Subtle offsets between the partition panels create rhythm within the composition, enlivening the play of light and shadow.

 

This refinement in detailing was made possible through the support of Zeidler, who skillfully translated ACDF’s design intent while rigorously coordinating the structural systems and exterior finishes to ensure both design integrity and technical precision.

 

 

The first concrete building to rise at Bear Mountain in 15 years, the One Bear Mountain
project unfolds in continuity with the 18th hole of the prestigious PGA Mountain Course, designed by Nicklaus Design. To this domesticated landscape component, the architecture—with its rounded forms—responds with coherence, establishing a dialogue with the site’s topography, the sweeping lines of the golf course, and the natural beauty of Goldstream Provincial Park.

Residential and common spaces

The building houses 209 thoughtfully designed condominiums, including spectacular penthouses on the upper levels. Generous, cascading terraces are oriented to capture both sunrise and sunset, while framing sweeping views of Mount Finlayson and the surrounding landscape. In close collaboration with Inside Design Studio, Zeidler conceived interiors that ensure a seamless continuity between the residential and communal spaces, blending warm, natural material palettes with wellness areas inspired by the serenity of spa environments.

 

 

The project offers two main entrances, each with its own distinct character. The first, positioned along the street leading to the community’s main access road and the golf course trails, features a drop-off area sheltered by a canopy and opens into a grand, more formal lobby. The second, a more pedestrian-oriented entrance, is located above the podium and opens onto a quieter residential street. There, landscaped pathways, punctuated by gently curved stone walls, guide residents toward a secondary lobby that connects seamlessly to shared lounges and a panoramic terrace.

One Bear Mountain was conceived as a living environment where residents’ well-being was placed at the heart of every decision, guiding the creation of an architecture centered on the occupant experience and offering a generous array of shared spaces totaling 2,400 m².

 

Designed to bring together sport, relaxation, and social life in a coherent and harmonious whole, amenities include a spectacular pool and terrace on the 15th floor, a panoramic lounge with a large terrace on the 16th floor, a business center and concierge service, as well as a wellness area featuring a yoga studio with programmed classes, meditation and relaxation spaces inspired by spas, and a fully equipped fitness room.

 

 

This approach—where architecture becomes a catalyst for well-being, balance, and quality of life—is summed up by developer Robin Connor:

 

 

“What sets ACDF apart is not only their creativity and technical expertise, but also their ability to deeply understand a developer’s objectives," emphasizes Mr. Connor. "At One Bear Mountain, they translated our vision into an environment that enriches well-being and daily life, combining architectural elegance, functionality, and lasting value for the community.”

Integration and legacy

One Bear Mountain stands as a visible landmark on the horizon, yet its architecture remains in harmony with its immediate surroundings. In symbiosis with the golf course and the site’s natural character, it strikes a rare balance between assertive verticality and landscape integration.

 

 

More than a real estate development, One Bear Mountain exemplifies the value of an architectural approach rooted in intelligent reuse, carbon footprint reduction, and contextual integration.

 

“Rehabilitating the existing is also about telling a story — the story of a site, of its strengths and its scars, and of how they can be transformed into new beauty,” concludes Maxime Frappier.

Elegant and contemporary, the project demonstrates that a high-rise can not only respect but also enhance an exceptional natural setting, offering an inspiring model for the completion of unfinished projects across the country.

 

 

With One Bear Mountain, ACDF celebrates its fourth major achievement in British Columbia, following landmark projects such as The Pacific by Grosvenor, the 825 Pacific artist hub in Vancouver, and Parq Vancouver, the signature development adjacent to BC Place Stadium. For Zeidler, the project reaffirms its commitment to shaping complex, collaborative developments where design vision and technical precision converge to create com

About ACDF Architecture

With a portfolio of ambitious and design-savvy commercial, residential, hospitality, interior, and master planning projects, ACDF is recognized as one of Canada’s most forward-thinking architecture firms. Under the direction of Maxime-Alexis Frappier, Joan Renaud, and Etienne Laplante Courchesne, the firm’s harmonious designs of large-scale projects have received numerous awards and accolades in recognition of their progressive approach to a new generation of meaningful and impactful buildings.

ACDF is built upon a foundation of pragmatism and creativity, embracing the belief that every building should serve its inhabitants and passersby. Beyond the status of grand gestures and iconic appearances, the firm believes that buildings should be experiences infused with emotive and democratic architecture that touches and benefits all who come in contact with it. That process begins with practical solutions and creative designs that foster harmonious architecture, ensuring that every finished structure projects a sense of meaning and mission. Based in Montreal, Quebec, ACDF draws inspiration from a city known for its liveability and vitality, and which straddles the divide between Europe and North America, and between the historic and the modern. Energized by challenges and constraints, ACDF explores and evaluates each project’s limitations in order to inject it with fresh ideas and innovative solutions that exceed expectations and imaginations.

About Zeidler Architecture

Zeidler is a leading Canadian architecture and interior design practice with a portfolio of award-winning, inspiring work that fosters social engagement, facilitates excellence, and delivers lasting value. We believe that architecture should enrich lives and strengthen communities. Driven by curiosity and guided by evidence, we embrace innovation in sustainability, accessibility, design theory, and materiality. We work closely with clients and communities to design resilient environments that foster connection, promote well-being, and achieve long-term impact. At Zeidler, we don’t just design buildings—we shape resilient environments that help shape the future.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams