Connecting the Past to the Future

Last year we welcomed the first residents to Comma King George, our latest rental project located in Surrey’s Health and Tech District. 

The property includes a 392-home tower and commercial low-rise between Surrey Memorial Hospital and King George SkyTrain Station.

It’s a project with a lot to offer: below-market rental homes, priority access to childcare, and amenities designed for everyday ease. But what continues to stay with us is something quieter, something that existed long before we arrived on the site.

A piece of history

The location was once home to the North Surrey Medical Building, a designated heritage landmark. Designed by architect Peter Cole and built in 1969, it stands as a reflection of Surrey’s postwar growth, its New Formalist design marked by colonnades, symmetry, and a sense of civic presence.

As Surrey expanded, so did its need for accessible healthcare. The building became part of that story—supporting a growing community alongside the opening of Surrey Memorial Hospital in 1959. It remains an enduring marker of that moment in time.

And for us, that history wasn’t something to work around; it was something to listen to.

Building Places that Matter

Rize believes in building places that matter. We build to make a difference by fostering a culture that inspires curiosity, accountability, and collaboration.

With every project we ask ourselves: is it functional? Is it accessible? Is it beautiful?

Heritage revitalization brings richness to our developments, and wherever feasible, we look for opportunities to re-use and retain that history.

When we approach sites with heritage value, the goal isn’t to reshape them in our image. It’s to understand what already exists, what a place has meant, and consider how it can continue to serve the community in a new way.

Creative Problem Solving 

At Comma King George, a heritage building on the site was a puzzle that needed solving  — an opportunity for our team to find creative solutions. 

How could we best incorporate an aging medical structure into a contemporary housing project?  

While it certainly presented challenges, it was also a chance for us to be a caretaker of what came before and repurpose it for a new generation.  

So, we revitalized the building, integrating it into the project. It is now home to a childcare facility and retailers that will once again support daily life in the neighbourhood.

Different use, same purpose: care, connection, and community.

A Pattern Worth Repeating

Comma King George marks Rize’s fourth heritage revitalization project.

 In the mid-1990s, Rize was the first to envision and develop residential housing in the heritage Yaletown district. What followed was a massive revitalization of this warehouse district turned destination neighbourhood.

We remain proud of our first-mover vision and of the project itself, with its retractable garage doors and flexible loft studios for artists. The Hamilton was a catalyst for reimagining one of Vancouver’s most progressive communities.

At Metropolis in Yaletown, through one of Vancouver’s first Heritage Revitalization Agreements, we brought new life to the historic  Canadian Linen Building while introducing loft living to the city. 

What was once industrial became residential, without losing its identity.

Originally constructed in 1910, the London Building underwent a complete restoration to provide much-needed space for educational purposes in the downtown core. 

After being upgraded to meet high-occupancy building standards appropriate for schools, this 11-storey heritage office tower is now home to Canada West University.

A gateway to Granville Street, nestled between the downtown off-ramps from the Granville Street bridge and the beloved 1889 Yale Hotel, The Rolston honours the legacy of this eclectic urban area. 

The project included the heritage preservation of the Yale Hotel and the inclusion of 44 fully updated non-market single room occupancy homes.

And more recently, The Palms in Los Angeles reflects a similar approach: retaining the character of an existing building, upgrading it to meet the needs of today’s residents, and extending its life for years to come.

Each residence was extensively renovated and four new fully-accessible suites were added by converting ground floor parking stalls into interior space. 

The project is now a beautifully reimagined 24-residence apartment community in a prime Los Angeles location.

Past, present, future, held together

A building, on its own, is just a structure. What matters is what happens inside it.

A childcare centre where exploration takes place.
A studio where creativity flourishes.
A classroom where minds expand.
A home where everyday life unfolds.

We don’t see these projects as statements. They’re continuations. An acknowledgment that cities are shaped over time, not by any one project, but by the people who move through them, live in them, and leave something behind.

Heritage revitalization, at its best, isn’t about freezing something in time. It’s about allowing it to keep evolving so that new memories can layer onto old ones.