Toby Tannas

Photos: Lia Crowe

If you want to maintain passion for your lifeB次元官网网址檚 work, make it a sexy project. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the advice from KelownaB次元官网网址檚 Joe Mahovlich, founder of The Vaults. Joe is tapping into the high-end storage-condominium market with a concept thatB次元官网网址檚 been done beforeB次元官网网址攂ut never quite like this.

His concept is a mesh between storage and lifestyle. Each bay in The VaultsB次元官网网址攍ocated in Kelowna at the Airport Business ParkB次元官网网址攈as space for cars, boats, RVs and also a mezzanine level for an office, entertaining or just relaxing among your toys. What sets The Vaults apart from the competition, according to Joe, is the unprecedented level of security and style.

B次元官网网址淎 fence doesnB次元官网网址檛 offer enough protection or privacy for this type of project. At The Vaults, the building B次元官网网址榠sB次元官网网址� the fence. Instead of a six-foot fence, weB次元官网网址檝e got a 28-foot concrete wall as a barrier.B次元官网网址�

With clients storing their prized possessions inside The Vaults, Joe knew security had to be at the top of the necessity list.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got a concrete and steel building with a giant, fully-enclosed overhead door. It opens with a coded transmitter and closes behind you. You can drive to your unit with complete privacy and anonymity.B次元官网网址�

Almost as important to Joe is the design and style of the project. The Vaults caters to an exclusive clientele and the exterior needed to reflect that.

B次元官网网址淲hen you pull up to one of our buildings at night, theyB次元官网网址檙e dark grey with black and all you see is this glowing 20-foot glass overhead door. It just looks amazing.B次元官网网址�

If youB次元官网网址檙e thinking James Bond, so was Joe when he put pen to paper to design the first and now flagship location in Calgary.

B次元官网网址淚 love the spy movies,B次元官网网址� he chuckles. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 always a common thread. They pull into a warehouse where they have their cars, but also an area where they can lounge. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a bar to have a drink and a kitchenette to entertain.B次元官网网址�

Each private bay at The Vaults is completely customizable. Ranging from 1,600 to about 5,000 square feet, the sky is the limit when it comes to design. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just car collectors that purchase units. YouB次元官网网址檒l find everything from art to scotch collections in The Vaults.

B次元官网网址淭hese are spectacular units. WeB次元官网网址檙e very intimately involved with the design of the bays. It turns into such a deep relationship with our clients. WeB次元官网网址檝e made a lot of great friends in the process and now we have great ambassadors.B次元官网网址�

Satisfied customers are what you need when your plans are as grand as JoeB次元官网网址檚. With two locations already up, running and sold out, heB次元官网网址檚 ready to take The Vaults across the country and the continent.

B次元官网网址淲e would like to get to the point where weB次元官网网址檙e doing three to five starts a year. ThatB次元官网网址檚 very achievable as long as we set how the construction is being done.B次元官网网址�

Joe describes Calgary as the working model. ItB次元官网网址檚 got the 46-bay flagship location, complete with clubhouse and wash facility, in the north. A second location in south Calgary is coming soon. For Joe, location is just as important to the business model as security and design.

B次元官网网址淥ur goal is always to be 20 minutes to the downtown core. We never go on the outskirts of a city, we want to be in an architecturally controlled newer area so that our building, that looks great, is around other buildings that look really good.B次元官网网址�

The next project will bring Joe back to his roots. Born and raised in Vernon, heB次元官网网址檚 excited about breaking ground on The Vaults Vernon before the end of the year.

B次元官网网址淭he Kelowna project sold out in 14 months, so we know thereB次元官网网址檚 a demand here.B次元官网网址�

The Vernon project incorporates a new business avenue. The six-acre site in the heart of the city will include a second set of buildings called The Commerce. Same design, same quality, same dimensions as The Vaults, but designed specifically for small business.

B次元官网网址淭here is a demand for smaller bays. Warehouse space is often out of reach for smaller businessesB次元官网网址攅ither financially or the space is just too big. This really fills a gap in the market,B次元官网网址� says Joe. B次元官网网址淚f we want to see our cities evolve, you need businesses to be able to come in and support the growth.B次元官网网址�

JoeB次元官网网址檚 family now calls Kelowna home. Each of his three children plays hockey; they ski and golf and fully embrace the Okanagan lifestyle. Joe has embraced his creative side with The Vaults, constantly working to make a great concept even better.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e still tweaking, still learning. After 65 units, weB次元官网网址檙e making it way more efficient from a building standpoint.B次元官网网址�

As he looks back at the past few years, it can be a bit heady for Joe: a university science major turned developer turned visionary. What started as a search for an office/storage space for his own use turned into a career and perhaps more importantly a passion project.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really excited to build these things because each one is different. WeB次元官网网址檙e doing it different and better than anyone else in North America,B次元官网网址� he says with pride. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a very sexy project.B次元官网网址�

ThereB次元官网网址檚 that word again! It definitely gets your attention, just like The Vaults themselves: the mysterious buildings with the glowing doors that leave you longing to be a part of the beautiful world locked away inside.

For more information on The Vaults visit.