Have you ever wondered where the names for buildings come from? I sometimes flip through the pages of the Condo Guide and wonder where the names come from - and I've helped name quite a few over the years! Some names are obvious such as when they are named after their locations like Station Square or 999 Seymour. These make sense right?
Sometimes we name projects after the history of the location. A great name right now is Meccanica which is named for the fact that the site is the historic location of the renowned Intermeccanica (custom replica Porsche builders). They have hand crafted these cars on this land for over 30 years and Meccanica will also feature Intermeccanica in the building once complete so as not to displace them. Opsal is a similiar historic name in that it is the location of the Opsal Steel Company dating back to the early 1900's. The building is on Vancouver's Heritage registry.
Other times we find a key element in the architecture or interior spaces as the inspiration. Alto, a project of mine, was named after the full 10' ceilings we offered in all of the homes - a feature not often found in new construction these days. Another project of mine called Qube was named after the cube like shape of the building. I wish I could say we changed the C to a Q for a reason but the reality is we did so just to be different.
Lastly, and I hate to admit this, but sometimes it's pulled out of left field. It could be a brand that exudes a similar look and feel, a great hotel someone stayed in recently, well known English name if the architecture is English or stately. The list goes on and this naming convention really relies on a story to be created around the name to help make it stick and be memorable. Sometimes we don't love the names to begin with but as soon as you start to build the story, add the imagery and give it a personality we often find that in the end we couldn't imagine any other name. I have a project called Northbank right now that is on the north side of the Fraser River in New Westminster. Northbank and New Westminster don't seem like an obvious connection but now that we have created its personality and told its story I have come to love it.
The naming process can sometimes be very simple with everyone coming together quickly and easily agreeing on a name. Other times, it can take months getting everyone on board (Alto which I mentioned earlier took over month to settle on the name). At the end of the day, regardless of the name, the projects are about locations, finishes, features and great spaces. However, it still doesn't stop me from wondering where other names come from. For instance, Scena is a mystery to me - any suggestions?
What are your favourite building names? Why? What is a name you just don’t understand? What would you like to see as a building name (Keep it clean)? Let us know. Tell us on our Facebook or send us a tweet.
Dan Thomson
