The immediate area around Wilson subway station is in the midst of a complete transformation, with upwards of 3,600 new residential units either recently completed, under construction, or proposed to the east of the Allen on currently underutilized or brownfield sites. The formerly industrial cul-de-sac of Tippett Road is the focal point of the new residential density, and recently, 30 Tippett - one of several proposed developments on the street - was submitted for Site Plan Approval to the City with some tweaks to its previous design.

Rendering of 30 Tippett looking south, image courtesy of Collecdev.

Headed by Collecdev and designed by gh3, 30 Tippett Road was initially proposed as a pair of mid-rises with a 13-storey 356-unit condominium building to the north, and a 14-storey 165-unit rental building to the south. The new design maintains the overall site plan configuration, but the 13-storey condo building has been reduced to 340 units, while the rental building has been increased to a height of 16 storeys and a new total of 181 units. The architectural expression of the two mid-rises has also undergone alterations.

Rendering of the east side of 30 Tippett Road, image courtesy of Collecdev.

In the north condo building, the ground floor will house a new 465-square-metre (5,000-square-foot) community space at the northwest corner which will serve all residents in the neighbourhood. As well, roughly 521 square metres (5,300 square feet) of new retail space is allocated in the northeast corner of the ground floor, while the remainder of the ground floor is given over to residential amenity spaces. It is noteworthy to add that 85% of all proposed condo units are two-bedrooms or larger, a surprisingly high ratio in Toronto's one-bedroom-dominated condo industry.

Ground floor plan of the north condo building, image courtesy of Collecdev.

The massing of the building features a single terraced volume along the west side of the site hugging W.R. Allen Road, with three rectangular masses protruding to the east. New POPS spaces are proposed in the courtyards on the east side of the building, while all roofs will be green, with an accessible rooftop terrace on the eighth floor.

Rendering of the northwest corner of the north building, image courtesy of Collecdev

The design of the building features angled outcrops and cutbacks that break up the homogeneous massing of the facades. A corrugated pattern circles the ground floor of the building with angled walls that change in rhythm as you move around the site. The upper floors have larger angled volumes and balconies that respond to the gentle curve of the massing. The facades will be finished with black aluminum panels and black perforated metal balcony railings.

Rendering of the west elevation of 30 Tippett, image courtesy of Collecdev.

The south rental building is smaller in footprint and contains only residential uses and their associated amenity space. The unit mix features just less than half of all units as two-bedrooms or larger. The massing features a single 16-storey volume that comes to a point at its south end, with a small rectangular volume protruding out to the east. The building will feature green roofs but no accessible roof terraces.

The design of the south rental building juxtaposes itself with the north building through the use of more continuous balconies and smoother facades with rounded corners, as opposed to the angled aesthetic of the condos. The materiality remains the same, however, with black aluminum panels and black perforated metal balcony railings.

Rendering of 30 Tippett looking north, image courtesy of Collecdev.

To the east of the buildings, a new private road will provide access for vehicles connecting to the adjacent public roads, while a new public park will be located on the east side of the private street on land assembled from adjacent developments.

Furthermore, the 30 Tippett development will provide for 100 affordable housing units, with 50 condo units and 50 rental units spread throughout the two buildings.

Rendering of the park and east elevation, image courtesy of Collecdev.

30 Tippett Road joins a host of other developments that are either already completed, under construction, or moving through the planning process within the immediate vicinity of Wilson subway station. Once fully built out, the area will be home to thousands of new residents within a mixed-use community situated within close proximity to rapid transit.

Massing model of 30 Tippett Road, image courtesy of Collecdev.

Map of development along Tippett Road, image by Julian Mirabelli.

We will keep you updated as the design continues to evolve, but in the meantime you can check out the previous renderings in our database file for the project, linked below, ge in on he conversation by checking out the associated Forum thread, or tell us what you think by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page.