This site is a full block on Avenue Road between Fairlawn and St. Germain Avenues. The client wanted a seven storey residential over retail development. However, there was significant neighbourhood will to preserve Avenue Road as a two/three storey shopping street. The project was finally approved at six storeys, terraced in all four directions to remain within City of Toronto urban design 45°vertical angular plane requirements. To mitigate the visual length, the architecture has distinctly different north and south detailing along Avenue Road, separated with a two storey central porte-côchere linking Avenue Road to the residential entry. All loading, drop-off and access to commercial/residential underground parking is through a lane to the rear, connecting the two side streets. As a scale transition between the project and neighbourhood, townhouses are located beside the two nearest existing houses. This project is frequently cited as a bellwether for the redevelopment of Toronto’s avenues.
