“Making a path. Pushing the boundaries. Changing our perspective.” These have been Urban Capital’s touchstones since it began the 48-unit Camden Lofts development in 1996. On dusty Camden Street in Toronto’s then-empty Fashion District west of downtown, that project broke the mold for Toronto development. Living in the city. Unprocessed space. Instead of square footage, use cubic footage.
Camden arose from the belief that de-industrialized areas of our cities could be revitalized as vibrant urban centers. Urban condominiums with a focus on design could end up competing with suburban homes that some desired more.
Camden was accompanied by the 66-unit Charlotte elegant lofts, located across Spadina, and the company’s first Ottawa project, found in the East Market, Canada. With its magnificent 420 units, the company project helped bring what was understood from Camden and Charlotte to its then-conservative national capital, establishing that persons outside of that little world known as downtown Toronto craved our urban living concept as well.
Since those early days, they have produced over 4,900 urban condo units, with yet another 3,900 currently under construction and thousands more in the pipeline, totaling over $4.4 billion in development.
They included Montreal in the projects in 2003; in 2009, Saucier was bought, Perrotte Architectes to Toronto for the River City development; and then came 2013, where the company spread its tentacles to Winnipeg, also in Saskatoon, Halifax, Edmonton.
Their work has pushed the envelope or pioneered metropolitan locations with very exquisite yet functional designs. Today, the company is expanding on that DNA by introducing new markets, contemporary design approaches, interior features and layouts, and environmental initiatives.
Gorsebrook Park: Gorsebrook Park is Urban Capital’s second project in the economic heart of Atlantic Canada. The development, which takes advantage of its coveted location next to Gorsebrook Park in the city’s leafy South End, offers a unique fusion of intricate modern design and pastoral serenity.
The beautifully designed two-story lobby connects to the house’s standard amenity room then to the park beyond, creating an emotional and physical link between the Wellington Street entrance and Goresbrook Park behind. Gorsebrook Park has been transformed into an extended backyard with amenities such as a parkside pool and exterior lounge.
Smart house: Smart House, Toronto’s (and possibly Canada’s) first development explicitly built as “micro-condominiums,” is carefully positioned in expensive areas like Queen and University reasonably priced by delivering units that are small in size (as small as 276 square feet) but highly functional due to intelligent design.
Smart House, created in collaboration with Malibu Investments, examines all aspects of a condominium, from bathrooms and kitchens to storage, to ensure they are “right-sized” and better designed for smaller spaces.
Smart House, which debuted in October 2013, received unprecedented attention for pushing the boundaries of unit size and condo functionality.
River City 2:Phase 2 of River City is a selection of three modern white “mini-towers” that serve as a counterpoint to the matte black Phases 1 and 3, with each mini-tower linked to the other by glass bridges. The building’s 249 loft-style condominium units, which jut in and out and rotate on their axes, have been “designed for living,” with unit sizes more extensive than typical in the current Toronto market.
River City is a LEED Gold development of over 1,100 units designed by Montreal-based Saucier + Perrotte Architects, winner of eight Governor General Medals for Architecture.
It is positioned in the newly revitalized West Don Lands neighborhood. After a lengthy public tender process in which 18 national and international developers competed, Urban Capital was awarded the right to develop River City in 2008. The proposal from Urban Capital was chosen because of its overall design, neighborhood vision, and environmental commitment.
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