Thanks to a building boom when towers-in-the-park style developments were the only way to go, Toronto has been left with hundreds of tall apartment buildings surrounded by large swaths of open space. Report for UrbanToronto by Tyler Greenleaf.

As the city looks to add residential and commercial intensification within its borders, these spaces provide opportunities for growth with infill development. (Much of this is covered as part of the City's tower renewal program). An interesting new example of infill development that we will likely see more of is 8 Chichester Place, a 16-storey tower on Sheppard, east of Victoria Park, and originally designed as 'Perfect Ten Condominiums' by Quadrangle Architects.

With 8 Chichester, Quadrangle focuses on the maximization of a three-acre site. The proposed development mixes the new high-rise into the surrounding landscape of 1970s tower-in-the-park apartments. "My challenge as an architect is to intensify an area by erecting a new building without cramping the site,” says Sheldon Levitt, principal, Quadrangle Architects. He explains, “I look to find the perfect balance between light, space and order while maximizing a site and accounting for future populations.” As well as providing 210 new affordable rental units, the construction of 8 Chichester Place will offer improvements to the existing 35-year-old apartment building, further extending the positive impact of the development to its surroundings. The building will meet the City's Green Building Standards and will incorporate environmentally progressive features including heating and cooling from a geothermal plant to lower energy consumption.

This project will extend to the sidewalk and is designed to be pedestrian-focused, revitalizing the streetscape. While this stretch of Sheppard Avenue is wide and features parking lots, this new building should help to improve the overall neighbourhood experience. - Both the public and private sectors are working together on this project. Public funds were primarily supported through the provincial and federal governments with a portion of the funding provided by the Affordable Housing Office of the City of Toronto. Rental rates in this building will be controlled for a number of years based on CMHC averages. This project is jointly owned by the Remington Group and the Brown Group, and is managed by the Brown Group. - What do you think of 8 Chichester and this kind of infill project? Leave a comment here, or click on the link below to join in the discussion in UrbanToronto's thread for this project.