St. Catharines The Essentialist | 10m | 3s | Elevate Living | Invizij Architects

[jta5]

I know UT doesn't typically pay attention to such relatively small buildings in such relatively irrelevant-to-Toronto communities, but this 28-unit development on a 40-foot-wide lot is a fascinating study in design. The developers are marketing the apartments as $250k studio condos. Address is 268 Oakdale in St. Catharines.

Mods, I don't know how to add the prefix so please assign this to St Catharines.

Renders:

Construction only started in April and it's already structurally complete. The architect shared progress photos from last week:

More info: https://elevateliving.ca/essentialist/

 

[Northern Light]

How fascinatingly American.

The out-facing entrances.

Interesting narrow building. My only gripe: Those balconies could have been enlarged

Not balconies, exterior hallway.

 

[afransen]

Interesting as a fairly affordable housing development. It seems kind of disposable.

 

[Paclo]

Site plan from the Corporate Report of 2020:

 

[Wigs]

How fascinatingly American.

The out-facing entrances.



Not balconies, exterior hallway.

That's unfortunate.
No balconies just exterior hallway... Like a motel

 

[innsertnamehere]

I mean the site is 12 metres wide.. what do you expect?

 

[Northern Light]

That's unfortunate.
No balconies just exterior hallway... Like a motel

This is a fairly common design in the U.S. south, you see it a lot in places like Florida.

It can motel/low-income; or it can be resort/high-income.

You rarely see it in Canada, because of the issue of clearly snow/ice from the exterior hallway/stairs.

I'd be interested to know how they've addressed that here.

The upside is that it does reduce build cost and can reduce operating cost (no heating/air con for common hall) , it also allows units to get a cross-breeze (presuming there are windows on both sides.)

 

[DavidCapizzano]

If this is invizij it’s probably passive house

 

[Wigs]

I mean the site is 12 metres wide.. what do you expect?

Something better designed instead of what looks like could quickly delve into slum condos a few years after completion.

But hey I'm not a developer with profit motive my only goal in life.

 

[Chris R.]

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[Wigs]

Looks even more value engineered from the already spartan renderings

 

[junctionist]

There's a local building in Toronto with exterior hallways, 25 Ritchie Avenue. The facade design obscures them, though. I remember touring it during Doors Open one year with the architect, David Peterson.

He said that a major advantage to external hallways between units was energy savings and lower maintenance costs. The corridors don't have to be heated or cooled. It's a beautiful building that feels high quality.

 

[Wigs]

Yeah that Toronto building actually looks nice.

This St. Kitts one doesn't imho