Oxford Garden Residences

How to put 12 units on a site that is 24’-7” wide and 130’ long? Given that the volume required to put four units each on three floors would extend to nearly the back of the existing property, and that exiting requirements would narrow the usable unit space considerably, we designed a Loft Tower of 8 units to sit within the zoning envelope at the front of the property and 4 additional Garden Apartments that sink below grade in the back. The goal was to achieve the unit count within the zoning parameters of the site while developing a unit type that is not only rentable, but better than the typical available units in the neighborhood. Kensington Market has some older and few contemporary apartment buildings, but most of the rentable stock is in converted Victorian houses, typically narrow and dark.  We are achieving small, yet highly daylight units that are loft-like, a known type that is in demand in Toronto at this time.