Superkül Architects, an award-winning firm best known for smaller architectural and interior design projects throughout Ontario, has now undertaken the design of an eight-storey, 50-unit apartment with ground level retail space building in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood on behalf of owner 1075 Queen East Limited. This development will be located along a bustling section of Queen Street East, replacing a former post office building and surface parking lot. The building’s design incorporates strong, stepped massing, with a dynamic, irregular window arrangement on the north and east façades. Glass balconies stay tucked into the building’s façade and provide views of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Superkül has also allocated enough space for 38 bikes on the property, catering to the strong bike culture present in Leslieville.

Aerial view of 1075 Queen Street East looking south-west, courtesy of Superkül Architects

The building’s proposed height is a point of contention for some residents of Leslieville. With the majority of  the buildings in the area being 2-3 storey residential homes and apartment buildings maxing out at five storeys, the eight storeys of this development, a height suggested in Toronto's Avenues plan, nevertheless faces some opposition.

Aerial view of 1075 Queen Street East, looking north east, courtesy of Superkül Architects

The proposed size of 1075 Queen St. East may be less impactful than many expect it to be, however, simply due to it being situated directly across the street from the Woodgreen Community Housing building, a massive 5-storey brick building that extends an entire block.

Bird's-eye view of 1075 Queen Street East, looking east along Queen St. E, courtesy of Superkül Architects

Additionally, Superkül has designed 1075 Queen East so that it recedes from the street after the sixth floor, lessening the brunt of the building’s façade on the street below. While it may not always be welcomed by neighbours, it is a simple fact that increased urbanization leads to increased density, even in neighbourhoods where there has historically been low-density housing. Ontario's Place to Grow Act of 2005 mandates that existing urban areas must densify, and Toronto's Avenues plan looks to put much of that densification on our arterial roads.

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