An interesting mid-rise development is taking shape at Toronto's Kingston Road and Main Street intersection, where two nearby buildings with common branding will soon be adding new life to the Upper Beach neighbourhood. Designed by TACT Architecture, Streetcar's The Southwood is comprised of two six-storey buildings on opposite sides of Kingston Road, with Phase 1 now rising at the southeast corner side of Kingston and Southwood Drive, while Phase 2 is now topped off on the north side of Kingston Road, a short distance to the west.

Phase 1 of The Southwood, image by Craig White

Despite being marketed as Phase 1, construction of the building at 663 Kingston Road trails behind the second phase to the west. Forming of Phase 1 is currently on the 6th level, which will be followed by a recessed mechanical penthouse level above. With forming soon to wrap up, the next major change to the structure will be the installation of the building envelope.

Phase 1 of The Southwood viewed from the east, image by Craig White

Meanwhile, the second phase building at 646 Kingston Road is fully formed, and cladding installation is currently in the process of sealing off the structure from the elements. The building's main frontage along Kingston Road is being clad in a charcoal-toned brick, with reflective windows elegantly framed in thick black mullions. These brick panels now stretch as high as the fifth floor, with the upper residential level to be clad in a lighter material.

Phase 2 of The Southwood, image by Craig White

The project's east facade—which fronts onto a quiet tree-lined laneway—is not quite as far along. While window wall cladding and insulation have been installed as high as the fifth floor, this frontage is still awaiting its first panels of brick cladding.

Phase 2 of The Southwood, image by Craig White

Once complete, the first phase building at 663 Kingston Road will introduce 56 residential units to the site where the former iconic Dip 'n Sip coffee shop was situated, while the second phase building at 646 Kingston Road will add 59 new units.

Phase 1 (top) and Phase 2 (bottom) of The Southwood, images courtesy of Streetcar

We will return as construction of these two mid-rise buildings continues. In the meantime, make sure to check out our dataBase file, linked below, for more information. Want to share your thoughts on the project? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the conversation on our Forum thread.