Urban living redefined, with the hardware to back it up.
Every design. Every project. Every growing community is part of a greater story, part of history. More importantly, they are part of the journey of the people who live within them – whether it be a luxury condominium or affordable housing – the pride of ownership, the appreciation of space and the beauty of design have always been driving factors in what we do. Our team has been fortunate to be able to work on urban development projects for 40 years throughout Ottawa, and as we look back on some of our biggest projects (literally), we uncover many of the same qualities and characteristics for each – an appreciation of history, heritage, community, and creativity.
Let’s not forget, these projects have one more thing in common: they are all top of their game, award winners in “Mid-Rise Development” categories at both local, and provincial levels of housing design excellence. We’re pretty proud. So, we’ve highlighted seven award winning projects across the city here.
In this article
1140 Wellington West – The Bethany Hope Centre Redevelopment
Yard & Station (12 Stirling Ave.)
First Patterson (27-33 First Ave.)
Westboro Station (401 Golden Ave.)
MacKay House (295 MacKay St.)
The Glassworks (29 Main St.)
268 First Ave. & 211 Second Ave.
1140 Wellington West – The Bethany Hope Centre Redevelopment
A unified composition
Double award winner for this project, our team was tasked with a multi-phased redevelopment in Ottawa’s Wellington Village for Tamarack. The first stage was the completion of 10 Rosemount Avenue, a 52-unit, six-storey mixed-use building at the corner of Wellington Street West and Rosemount Avenue. 1140 Wellington West, the second stage of the redevelopment, is a thirteen-storey, 184-unit apartment building set behind and adjoining the former Bethany Hope Centre, a circa-1924 institutional building preserved for historic significance.
Along Wellington Street, the front lawn of the Bethany Hope Centre had always provided a lively pedestrian landscape and urban green space. In order to preserve the public vitality of this space, leasable commercial space was incorporated at the base of both buildings, surrounding the revitalized green space. The top floor of 1140 Wellington provides access to amenity space and a rooftop terrace with incredible city views.
See full project description here.
AWARD WINNER
Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Awards of Excellence, 2019:
1140 Wellington – Best High-Rise Apartment (Condo or Rental 10 storeys +)
10 Rosemount – Best Mid-Rise Apartment (Condo or Rental 5-9 storeys)
Yard & Station (12 Stirling Ave.)
Transformation of a 1930’s schoolhouse
Built in the 1930’s, this four-storey schoolhouse in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood was rezoned in 2013 for mixed-use development. The first phase was the re-use of the school building for upscale loft apartments, to be modernized while retaining its schoolhouse aesthetic.
Using the layout of the existing building, the original main entrance at the centre was re-invented as the garage entrance, flanked by individual lobbies providing access to each of the nine units. Upper level balconies were integrated into the symmetrical schoolhouse front. The innovative new layout was designed with no corridors since each of the nine units extended from the front to back of the building, and the interiors are filled with bright light thanks to large windows on both sides. While the building has a completely new use now, its schoolhouse character was successfully preserved as a legacy to the community.
See full project description here.
AWARD WINNER
Ontario Home Builders’ Association Award of Excellence, 2018:
Best Mid-Rise Building (4-10 Storeys)
Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Award of Excellence, 2017:
Best Low to Mid-Rise Building (6-80 units)
First Patterson (27-33 First Ave.)
Thoughtful infill design
The redevelopment of 27-33 First Avenue replaced a single house and semi-detached house with two duplex buildings facing the street and two triplex buildings on the rear of the property facing Patterson Creek.
Located within the Glebe, we were mandated to maintain the scale of the neighbouring buildings. Our team designed the new development in four distinct blocks, instead of one massive block. The street-facing units were treated in a different palette than the rear units, giving identity to each block. Four separate elevators provide direct access from the underground parking level to each unit, eliminating the need for a centralized lobby. The upper unit of each of the four blocks includes a second level with walk-out rooftop terrace and views of the creek and surrounding park.
We’re proud of how this project demonstrated thoughtful infill design in its massing and site planning, while providing a marketable product to developers.
AWARD WINNER
Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Award of Excellence, 2010:
Best Low-Rise Condominium
Westboro Station (401 Golden Ave.)
Gateway to Westboro Village
Westboro Station is the redevelopment of an entire block in Westboro Village – a pedestrian friendly mixed-use project that binds the village together.
Approaching the site from the west is an experience that is now transformed by the striking facade of the west tower. An iconic element was created in the acutely angled roof overhang and corner windows that define the southwest corner. A linear wing wall extends from the ground to the top floor, breaking the podium at the condo entrance. This is the only place in the development where the full height of the building is expressed as a single element.
As the shape of the property narrows toward the west end, so too does the tower, forming a wedge shaped block with a relatively narrow west facing exposure. The residential towers are set back from the property limits on all sides, giving the building a two-storey relationship to the sidewalk, in keeping with the one and two-storey facades that are predominant in the area. The residential towers step back vertically introducing garden terraces at multiple levels.
See full project description here.
AWARD WINNER
Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Award of Excellence, 2010:
Best High-Rise Condominium
MacKay House (295 MacKay St.)
Architectural excellence
MacKay House is a five-storey building located in New Edinburgh. The corner condition of the site allowed the introduction of a corner feature element facing towards the grounds of Rideau Hall. Resolved as a circular tower in stone, glass and copper, the volume serves as a visual icon for the project and a landmark within the neighbourhood.
The key to this design was context. The site is at the corner of two prominent streets that border the Governor General’s backyard. The presence of the church on the opposite corner gives a substantial architectural reference point that suggests a building of larger scale. Buildings are most often experienced while in motion, and to design a building on a corner lot from a single point of view would be especially trivial.
While the new structure is larger than many surrounding houses, the street elevations have been designed to reflect the small scale diversity while also reflecting the larger scale of both the church and the Crichton school on the other side of the street.
With its richness of materials and deliberate street-edge buffer, MacKay House is both an architectural and urban design success.
AWARD WINNER
City of Ottawa Urban Design Award of Excellence, 2009
Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Award of Excellence, 2008
The Glassworks (29 Main St.)
Revitalizing the urban edge
The long vacant site at the busy corner of Main Street and Greenfield was set in a transitional fragment of the city, cut off from its Ottawa East neighbourhood by the Queensway and isolated from the Rideau Canal. Along with the developer, our team saw an opportunity to build upon the proximity of the canal to create a distinctive building design.
The Glassworks’ facade is articulated horizontally to reflect the existing homes on the street, as well as to reflect the interior division of space. Vertically, the building is broken into three lifts of two-storey loft apartments set above a ground level of parking and retail to gain a better separation from the heavy traffic of Main Street. The retail use and apartment entrance lobby are set at the ends of the building, where they animate the corners with human activity. Architectural detailing and intense landscaping work together to maintain interest and mediate the urban edge.
The main lobby is contemporary minimalist, with a curved steel feature wall, wired glass, stainless steel elevator, Herman Miller benches and dramatic lighting.
AWARD WINNER
City of Ottawa Architectural Conservation Award of Merit, 2004
268 First Ave. & 211 Second Ave.
Establishing the connection
This urban building in the heart of the Glebe consisted of two connected buildings. 268 First Avenue, a renovated 1914 five-storey Edwardian-style Heritage building, and 211 Second Avenue, a four-storey apartment building set above an underground parking garage.
The existing building’s renovation included preserving existing decorative wood soffits, brackets and trim, having the exterior clay brick and mortar cleaned, repaired and re-pointed, and the installation of new custom made pre-finished wood windows. The new building is more intimately scaled and has been designed to architecturally complement the renovated heritage building. The principal entries of both buildings have graceful foyers that hearken back to times gone by with moss green slate flooring, cherry wood doors, trim and paneling, feature lighting and stained glass. Some of the quality features incorporated into the living spaces include solid wood entry doors, fireplaces with slate hearths and wood mantles, and custom kitchen cabinetry.
This combination of elegant living with the benefits of an established neighbourhood was honoured by the City of Ottawa with an Award of Merit.
AWARD WINNER
City of Ottawa Architectural Conservation Award of Merit, 2000
