When we last checked up on the St. Clair Avenue West site of Madison and Fieldgate's ZIGG Condos in January, crews were in the process of shoring the site for the 11-storey, Kirkor Architects-designed development. In the weeks since, workers have begun the process of excavating the site down to a depth of four storeys below grade, with work picking up speed at the south end of the construction site as shoring continues elsewhere on site.

Excavation at the site of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

The south portion of ZIGG's footprint will be where the building's stepped terraces transition the massing down to the established low-rise housing on Lynwood Avenue to the south. The name 'ZIGG' is drawn from this ziggurat-inspired design feature.

Excavation at the site of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

As excavation proceeds at the south end of the site, shoring activity continues to the east against the site's Poplar Plains Road frontage. ZIGG is being shored with a pile and lagging system, commonly used for sites where the excavation does not require waterproofing, unlike the watertight caisson systems commonly used where high water tables exist.

The pile and lagging system is accomplished by driving steel casings into the earth followed by the insertion of vertical steel wide flange beams, or soldier piles. These beams are then secured in place with the addition of horizontal timbers—known as lagging—which can be seen forming the excavation's retaining walls in the images above. As earth is excavated, the horizontal lagging will slide down the vertical flange beams, moving along in rhythm with the excavation.

Shoring continues at the east side of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

The completed ZIGG development will add 166 suites to the Avenue and St. Clair area, with units ranging in size from 500 ft² up to 1,796 ft², coming in one to three-bedroom layouts. Residents of these suites will enjoy a selection of amenities appointed by interior designers The Design Agency, including a gym and party room, and a large rooftop terrace featuring an indoor bar, lounge space, and outdoor barbecues.

Rendering of ZIGG Condos, image courtesy Madison/Fieldgate

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.