Ahead of a June OMB review, planning for Oakville's Lake & East is continuing. The team of Engine Developments, Fortress Real Developments, and Symmetry Developments is moving forward with the ambitious Bronte Village condominium, with a re-submission of the re-zoning and Official Plan Amendment (OPA) expected alongside a new Site Plan Application (SPA) this year.

Lake & East Condos, image courtesy of Fortress/Engine/Symmetry

Further refining a project that first came to light in 2014—with a very different design—the new submission will refine the proposal put forward last year, which introduced the current iteration of the 5468796 Architecture-designed condo to the Brone Village waterfront. In advance of this Summer's OMB review, the revised submission responds to comments from Town of Oakville planning staff while providing a greater degree of detail through the site plan. Potentially wrapping up the planning process, the re-submission will likely be followed by a sales launch, which is tentatively scheduled for the Spring.  

A worm's eye view of the tower, image courtesy of Fortress/Engine/Symmetry

Rising to a height of 20 storeys, the 144-unit condo will introduce another high-rise density property to Bronte Village, replacing a convenience store and surface parking lot at the southeast corner of Lakeshore Road West and East Street. In terms of height and density alone, the project is not unprecedented for the area, with a cluster of slab-form high-rises already spread along the lakefront. The project's design is another story.  

A 3D aerial view of the Bronte Village waterfront, with the site at centre, image via Google Maps

Clad in an anodized aluminum envelope with 'living walls' spread across the tower levels, Lake & East presents an aesthetic departure from industry-standard window wall cladding. At ground level, another aluminum frame traces out the boundaries of the site, fostering a sort of 'outdoor room' experience. Featuring retail, public seating, and landscaping by Land Art Design, the project's street-level is intended as a pedestrian-oriented space. 

A view of the street level, image courtesy of Fortress/Engine/Symmetry

Garnering both praise and criticism, the design at least promises to be a conspicuous addition to the Bronte waterfront Village, which counts little architectural innovation among its numerous charms. While the building's materiality and—in particular—its living wall landscaping plan have not been universally well received, the project's architectural ambition makes it one to watch.  

Nighttime aerial rendering, image courtesy of Fortress/Engine/Symmetry

We will keep you updated as the planning process wraps up, and the project continues to move forward. In the meantime, you can learn more about the project by checking out our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the conversation in our Forum.