Located a short walk from Old Mill Station, the site for our proposed 39-storey condominium project for Fairway Developments sits within a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA). 69 Old Mill Terrace fulfills a multi-pronged mandate: to bring context-sensitive density to the Bloor Street corridor, activate the street edges, and add hundreds of high-quality homes of various sizes to this desirable neighbourhood on the west side of Toronto. 

We designed a building in the round that offers sightlines in every direction — toward the Humber River, the Humber Marshes, Parklawn Cemetery, and the downtown skyline — and, conversely, can be appreciated from all sides of the meandering “X” shape that characterizes the larger intersection at Bloor Street West and The Kingsay. The building’s softened edges take inspiration from the winding shores of the nearby river, and the lighter material palette consisting of brick and precast concrete panels brings the building into harmonious conversation with the surrounding urban fabric. 

The design is characterized by restraint and repetition. As the building rises, the core elements scale: the fins get taller and the horizontal bands rotate to become balconies. The alternating window pattern creates a shimmering dynamism along the façade and works in concert with the typical floor plan, which is deliberately shallower to ensure that daylight reaches deep into each unit. The 39-storey building features 371 units in total, over 30% of which are designed to accommodate families.

Images: Secchi Smith