Richmond Town Manors
853 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Developer: Rosant Developments
Units: 9
Storeys: 4
GFA: 16,321 sq.ft.
Completion date: 2010
Modern interpretation
Richmond Town Manors is a modern interpretation of a traditional Victorian row house development that is very common and familiar in Toronto. Situated in a rapidly gentrifying former industrial area, it offers a strong alternative to the faux-Victorian semis that are all too common in downtown Toronto. The existing site is bordered by residential properties, a body shop, and converted warehouse office space.
Wood frames
The development has nine, four-metre wide, three-storey townhomes each with a private garage and two outdoor terraces on the second and roof levels on this infill, urban site. Municipal guidelines and economic concerns necessitated a design that was limited to a maximum of 1900 sq. ft. The initial design incorporated nine rectangular boxes on the front façade. However, the massing of such a structure was not in keeping with the street vernacular and a revised design reduced these boxes to four and a half allowing for a better rhythm of the wood frames.
Contemporary facades
The design tried to incorporate some of the existing brick pier elements in warehouses and also show a clearly defined residential entrance. The contemporary facades – with Brazilian Ipe wood framing, floor-to-ceiling windows, and charcoal brick – present a bold visual contrast to the older structures (a body shop, bungalows) across the street, but they also serve to expand the design language of residential infill in Toronto.
Projecting frame
There is an organizing and projecting frame of Ipe wood that gives the facade its rhythm and the scale of a three-storey building. The entrances are nicely sheltered and recessed under the ipe canopy and arranged around landscaping features. The second-floor private outdoor living space is located above a covered driveway that provides secure access to the parking garages at grade. The fourth floor accommodates all mechanical systems and allows the floors below to be fully maximized as living areas.
High-quality materials
High-quality materials were used wherever possible such as smooth manganese iron spot brick, Brazilian Ipe wood canopies. The corrugated metal siding is a nod to the industrial background of this neighbourhood while aluminum floor-to-ceiling glazed window framing system, siding, and feature elements complete the design.
Consultant Team
Structural: Jablonsky, Ast and Partners
Mechanical: HVAC Designs Ltd.
Electrical: Able Engineering
Landscape: Nak Design Group
Awards
2011 TUDA
Honourable Mention
2010 BILD Award
