2.2K 
Development in the western GTA municipality of Oakville continues apace, and not just in the Town's highly marketable Old Oakville and Bronte Harbour areas. Another emerging development centre is growing to the north as well, in an area known as the Uptown Core, where developers Ballantry Homes and Silwell Developments Ltd are working on a multi-phased mixed-use community project, Villages of Oak Park.
Zooming in on the details of the development’s first phase, the project’s architects, Kirkor Architects Planners have offered some interesting insights into their plan to build the community up from scratch. Dubbed Oak Park 3, the first phase will see the delivery of a 12-storey residential building offering a total of 225 units, occupying the northwestern edge of the greenfield site. “Kirkor Architects are proud to have been part of the Oak Park 3 development,” Roman Pevcevicius, Partner at Kirkor, told UrbanToronto. Discussing the unique role of Oak Park 3 specifically, he explained that, “as the first building of a multi-phased site, we understood the importance of the proposal in its larger context as a touchstone for place making.”
Discussing the design of the building further, Pevcevicius focussed in on the exterior expression to identify some of the primary motivations behind the approach to the massing and facade conditions. “We made a conscious effort to create active facades on every face of the building,” he said, “ensuring that it would have an engaging and inviting presence.” These active facades are free of any blank wall conditions, and feature a mixed materiality that highlights the formal changes between the building’s different volumes.
Precast panelling with a red brick finish clads the majority of the building’s lowest levels, while precast concrete panelling with a light tan tint is applied extensively to the upper portion of the building. The visual interest, however, takes place in the areas where the materials are exchanged.
The brick finish rises up to the eighth storey on the southern elevation, while the precast finish makes an appearance across the various elevations in the detailing of the grade level. Furthermore, a third material, a dark grey-tinted aluminum panelling, adds another point of material and colour contrast. “We carefully selected the building materials to give the architecture a timeless appearance that would fit into the surrounding neighbourhood,” said Pevcevicius.
On the interior, a number of themes are conveyed in the design of the various common spaces and amenity areas. The lounge space, for example, is defined by the extensive use of wood and the role of the natural grain as an organic motif.
In the fitness centre, the extra height of the building’s grade level plays into creating a more industrial-style setting that features nearly full height windows to highlight the size of the space. A number of more vibrant elements are added, however, to balance the industrial atmosphere, with features like patterned tiling and a bright red-coloured floor.
While intensive planning is still in the works to develop designs and programming for the subsequent phases, the first phase of the Villages of Oak Park is about as complete as it can be. “We are proud of the final result,” Pevcevicius said, “and we are excited to see how it will continue to impact the area in a positive way for years to come.”
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
| Related Companies: | Aercoustics Engineering Ltd, Ballantry Homes, Diverso Energy, MHBC Planning, NAK Design Strategies, Ryan Design International, VIP Condos Toronto |
