Vancouver condo buildings · Updated September 13, 2026
Vancouver House
1480 Howe St, Vancouver · Also known as 1480 Howe Street, Vancouver House by BIG
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Vancouver House is the twisting Westbank tower at the foot of the Granville Bridge, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and finished in 2020. It is one of the most photographed buildings in the city, and residents rate it 4.0 out of 5 on Google from 131 reviews. The architecture wins praise; Reddit threads focus on construction quality, elevators and false fire alarms in the early years.
- Address
- 1480 Howe St, Vancouver
- Neighbourhood
- Downtown South
- Completed
- 2020
- Storeys
- 49
- Height
- 150 m
- Towers
- 1
- Developer
- Westbank
- Architect
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
- Transit
- About 640 m from Yaletown–Roundhouse station on the Canada Line
About Vancouver House
The tower rises from a small triangular base squeezed between the Granville Bridge on- and off-ramps and widens as it climbs, so the top floors are far larger than the bottom ones. That shape, seen from the bridge, is why the building appears to twist. Wikipedia lists construction from 2016 to 2020, with ICON Pacific as the main contractor.
Residents get a heated outdoor pool, a large fitness centre and 24-hour concierge. The retail and rental buildings around the tower's base, under the bridge, are part of the same Westbank development.
Floor counts disagree: Wikipedia says 49, Google's CTBUH data says 52 and brokerage profiles repeat the marketing figure of 59 storeys. Unit counts also vary (388 condos in one brokerage profile; 407 market condos plus 95 rentals across the whole development in a 2018 Daily Hive report), so no suite count is shown.
Where Vancouver House is
Vancouver House is at 1480 Howe St in Downtown South. About 640 m from Yaletown–Roundhouse station on the Canada Line.
The labelled marker is this building; the dots are other buildings covered in this guide. Select a marker to open its card.
Looking at other options in the area? See real estate agents serving Yaletown or the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
Vancouver House building amenities
- Heated outdoor pool
- Fitness centre (about 10,000 sq ft)
- 24-hour concierge
- Lounge
- Air conditioning
Brokerage building profiles (condoinvancouver.ca, Virani Real Estate Advisors) and resale listings.
Vancouver House photos
Vancouver House reviews: the Google rating
Google reviews are the largest public sample of resident opinion for most condo buildings. The breakdown matters more than the average: a building with as many one-star as five-star reviews is a very different place from one with a steady spread of fours.
4.0
★★★★★131 Google reviews
- 5 star81
- 4 star21
- 3 star3
- 2 star2
- 1 star24
What reviews mention most
- Architecture · 22
- Unique design · 7
- Elevators · 7
- Building exterior · 4
- Tower · 4
- Environmentally friendly · 3
- Gym · 2
- Pool · 2
Google Maps listing, as of September 11, 2026. Topics are the themes Google identifies in reviews, with the number of reviews mentioning each. Read the reviews on Google Maps
What residents praise
- Architecture and one of the city's most recognisable designs
- Pool and gym
- Location at the Granville Bridge, near Yaletown and the seawall
What residents complain about
- Construction quality issues raised by residents, including fire stops and balcony panels
- Elevators out of service
- False fire alarms in the first years
What people say about Vancouver House on Reddit and forums
A summary of the threads that come up when people search for this building. Reddit skews toward people with a problem or a question, so weigh it alongside the Google breakdown above.
The overall picture
Reddit admires how Vancouver House looks but is hard on how it was built. The most active threads, from 2021 and 2022, describe construction defects and early building problems, and a 2026 thread revisits the tower as a cautionary tale. Prospective renters still shortlist it, then ask whether the reputation is deserved.
Construction quality
NegativeA 2021 thread lists missing fire stops, mould, loose balcony panels and constant false alarms, and a 2022 thread asks what went wrong given reports of poor workmanship.
The developer
NegativeOne 2022 commenter calls Westbank one of the worst builders in Vancouver and blames its in-house approach.
Design versus livability
MixedA 2026 thread argues the tower fell short of its promise and that the units look like cells from afar, even as the architecture keeps drawing attention.
Renters weighing it up
MixedNewcomers list Vancouver House among their top picks alongside One Burrard Place and Living Shangri-La, then ask about its bad reputation.
The threads behind this summary
- How Vancouver House Became a Tower of Empty Promises
r/vancouver · 2026 · 140+ comments
Negative“Vancouver House was a luxury condo development. From afar, the units look like prison cells.”
- Is there any insider knowledge on what happened with Vancouver House?
r/vancouver · 2022 · 110+ comments
Negative“I understand that the workmanship is insanely bad as posted on twitter by this fellow:”
- Construction quality issues aside, the Vancouver House is ...
r/vancouver · 2021 · 90+ comments
Negative“Building has missing fire stops, mold, loose balcony panels, constant elevator issues, constant false fire alarms, and no active fire panel ...”
- Vancouver House
r/vancouver · 2022 · 30+ comments
Negative“IMO- Westbank is probably one of THE WORST builders in Vancouver. I think because they don't subcontract, they do most things in-house… so if ...”
- Looking for new place [Never been to Vancouver Before]
r/vancouverhousing · 2025 · 20+ comments
Question“My top apartment building picks are the Vancouver House and One Burrard place but after looking on here they seem to have a bad wrap.”
- Paradox, Shangri La, Vancouver House, residence at ...
r/askvan · 2025 · 30+ comments
Question“Just curious what others think. Given they all have similar rental prices for a 1 bedroom apartment, which building would you guys choose and why?”
Summaries are our reading of the linked threads and review pages. Excerpts are quoted verbatim from each thread’s public snippet, including spelling; open the thread for full context. Dates are approximate.
What's near Vancouver House: transit, restaurants and parks
SkyTrain stations, bus stops, and the most-reviewed places within about a kilometre of 1480 Howe St. Use the filters to show only what you care about, and select a marker for photos, details and walking directions.
Transit stop locations are from TransLink schedule data. Place locations come from Google Maps listings and are rounded to about 100 m, so a marker can sit a little off the actual entrance.
Transit near Vancouver House
The closest SkyTrain station to Vancouver House is Yaletown-Roundhouse Station on Canada Line, about a 10-minute walk (640 m). Bus routes 23, 14, 16, 4, 10, 7, 50, 2, 44 and 6 stop within 500 m.
SkyTrain stations
- C
Yaletown-Roundhouse Station
Canada Line
10 min · 640 m - C
Vancouver City Centre Station
Canada Line
19 min · 1230 m - E
Granville Station
Expo Line
22 min · 1420 m
Bus routes within 500 m
- 23PacificNearest stop: Westbound Beach Ave @ Howe St1 min · 90 m
- 14Hastings/UBC ExchangeNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 1629th Avenue Station/ArbutusNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 4Powell/UBC ExchangeNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 10GranvilleNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 7Nanaimo Station/DunbarNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 50Waterfront Station/False Creek SouthNearest stop: Southbound Granville St @ Drake St3 min · 200 m
- 2MacdonaldNearest stop: Northbound Burrard St @ Pacific St4 min · 250 m
- 44UBC Exchange/Downtown ExpressNearest stop: Southbound Burrard St @ Burnaby St6 min · 390 m
- 6DavieNearest stop: Eastbound Davie St @ Howe St6 min · 400 m
Stations and routes from TransLink’s official schedule data (TransLink GTFS static schedule data, published September 11, 2026). Overnight routes are not shown. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. View the dataset
Restaurants, parks and things to do near Vancouver House
Restaurants near Vancouver House
- No free photo available6 min walk
The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
Seafood restaurant
★★★★★4.5 (5,274)
1535 Johnston St Creekhouse #102 · 410 m
- No free photo available9 min walk
Denny's Restaurant Vancouver, Davie
Restaurant
★★★★★4.5 (9,043)
1098 Davie St · 550 m
11 min walk- No free photo available11 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
Cafés and bakeries near Vancouver House
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
Blenz Coffee
Coffee shop
★★★★★4.4 (1,853)
Blenz on Granville &, 700 Davie St · 420 m
- No free photo available8 min walk
Brunch Vancouver | Breakfast & Brunch Restaurant
Brunch restaurant
★★★★★4.7 (2,358)
1147 Granville St · 480 m
- No free photo available9 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
Grocery stores near Vancouver House
- No free photo available1 min walk
Fresh St. Market - Vancouver House
Grocery store
★★★★★4.1 (509)
1423 Continental St · 10 m
- No free photo available8 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
Mi Tierra Latina Store - Davie
Mexican grocery store
★★★★★4.6 (149)
1104 Davie St · 560 m
- No free photo available12 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
Davie Street Your Independent Grocer Vancouver
Grocery store
★★★★★3.9 (2,793)
1255 Davie St · 800 m
- No free photo available13 min walk
Parks and green space near Vancouver House
- No free photo available1 min walk
6 min walkPhoto: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0
8 min walk
9 min walk
10 min walk- No free photo available11 min walk
Things to do near Vancouver House
- No free photo available8 min walk
Prince of Whales - Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures Vancouver
Whale watching tour agency
★★★★★4.8 (2,425)
1666 Duranleau St · 500 m
- No free photo available9 min walk
Vancouver Water Adventures
Water sports equipment rental service
★★★★★4.9 (3,495)
1812 Boatlift Ln · 560 m
10 min walkKids Market
Children's amusement center
★★★★★4.4 (2,885)
1496 Cartwright St · 670 m
11 min walkRoundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
Recreation center
★★★★★4.5 (1,641)
181 Roundhouse Mews · 680 m
Photo: Bryson430 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
15 min walkPhoto: MichaelThoeny, CC BY-SA 3.0
15 min walkMuseum of Vancouver
Local history museum
★★★★★4.3 (2,110)
1100 Chestnut St · 960 m
Photo: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Places and ratings from Google Maps listings, retrieved September 13, 2026. Restaurants and cafés are limited to places rated 4.3 or higher, and every category is filtered to listings with enough reviews to be meaningful. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. Businesses open, close and move, so check before you go.
Who Vancouver House suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit for
Buyers and renters who want a landmark address and design they will not find elsewhere, and who value the pool, gym and quick access to Yaletown, the seawall and the Granville Bridge.
Look elsewhere if you are
You want a building with a quiet track record. Read the strata minutes closely for repairs and warranty work, and expect bridge traffic noise on lower floors.
Before you buy in any strata building, ask for the Form B information certificate, two years of strata council minutes and the depreciation report; together they show the strata’s finances, special levies and upcoming repairs. Use the condo fee calculator to check monthly costs and the property transfer tax calculator for closing.
Vancouver House FAQ
Who designed Vancouver House?
Vancouver House was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for developer Westbank. Construction began in 2016 and the tower was completed in 2020.
How tall is Vancouver House?
Wikipedia lists Vancouver House at 150 metres with 49 floors. Other sources count differently: Google's building data shows 52 floors and marketing materials describe a 59-storey tower.
Is Vancouver House a good building to live in?
Residents rate it 4.0 out of 5 on Google from 131 reviews, with 81 five-star and 24 one-star ratings. Architecture is the most praised topic, while elevators come up in complaints, and Reddit threads from 2021 and 2022 describe construction quality problems. Check the strata minutes for how those issues were resolved.
What SkyTrain station is closest to Vancouver House?
The closest SkyTrain station to Vancouver House is Yaletown-Roundhouse Station on Canada Line, about a 10-minute walk (640 m). Bus routes 23, 14, 16, 4, 10, 7, 50, 2, 44 and 6 stop within 500 m.
What grocery stores are near Vancouver House?
The closest well-reviewed grocery stores are Fresh St. Market - Vancouver House at 1423 Continental St (1 min walk), Choices Market at 1202 Richards St (8 min walk) and Mi Tierra Latina Store - Davie at 1104 Davie St (9 min walk).
Condo buildings near Vancouver House
Downtown South · 330 m away
One Burrard Place
Completed 2021 · 54 storeys
★★★★★ 3.7 from 57 Google reviews
Yaletown · 580 m away
8X on the Park
Completed 2019 · 35 storeys
★★★★★ 4.3 from 15 Google reviews
West End · 800 m away
The Butterfly
Completed 2024 · 57 storeys
★★★★★ 4.0 from 75 Google reviews
Yaletown · 1.2 km away
The Arc
Completed 2019 · 28 and 30 storeys
★★★★★ 3.4 from 80 Google reviews
Next steps for Vancouver House
- Tell us the city and we match you with an agent who already works Downtown South.
- Browse agents serving Yaletown.
- Estimate monthly costs with the condo fee calculator and closing with the property transfer tax calculator.
- Still choosing an area? Start with the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Vancouver House
- BIG: Vancouver House project page
- Daily Hive: Vancouver House construction tops out (June 2018)
- BC Condos and Homes: Vancouver House
- Virani Real Estate Advisors: Vancouver House
- Google Maps listing (snapshot September 11, 2026)
- TransLink GTFS static schedule data
- 6 Reddit threads and review pages, linked above
Researched September 13, 2026. Ratings and resident opinion change; check the linked sources for the latest before making a decision.