We have kept a very close eye on the growth of Alterra Group of Companies' Westwood Condominiums, a 6-storey Richmond Architects-designed boutique condominium development located in Etobicoke on Fieldway Road, a short walk from Islington subway station. We documented the rise of the project in depth with monthly visits throughout the most of 2013, and in the few months since our last visit, construction has moved on to the final stages. 

Westwood Condominiums in its late stages of construction, image by Craig White

Westwood is now almost fully clad in a slate gray brick finish and a glass-and-spandrel window wall system. One of the building's most interesting exterior features is a precast ledge rock feature wall. While not clad with ledge rock itself, to get the desired textural effect, Richmond Architects stacked ledge rock into four by four foot squares and sent the assemblage off to the United States for plastic moulds to be made. That mould was then used to create the custom made pigmented precast panels now on the building. They will have very high durability and, like bricks, will never discolour due to age and weathering.

The precast rock feature wall, image by Craig White

Detail of the precast ledge rock feature wall, image by Craig White

The project's northwest side features a beige precast cladding with vertical punched windows, accented by the same glazing which continues to rise in the image below.

Precast details on Westwood's northwest side, image by Craig White

Westwood's decked parking garage is also making progress. With the finishings still to come, the 89-space lot will soon be complete. Serving a building with 110 condominium suites, the size of the garage is a sign that even in the suburbs, Torontonians are increasingly turning to transit as their primary mode of transportation. Only a few years ago it would have been unthinkable to have a building outside the core with fewer parking spaces than suites, but developers have been finding lately that fewer people need a spot for to park a car.

The decked garage at Westwood Condominiums, image by Craig White

The fourth floor deck over Westwood's garage will become a landscaped outdoor terrace, with indoor amenities opening on to it. They include a party room with a games room and a dedicated dining area for entertaining. 

How Westwood should appear when complete, image courtesy of The Alterra Group

When complete, night lighting should make Westwood appear as above in the rendering. For additional information including renderings and floorplans, visit our dataBase file, posted below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.