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Kirkwood Apartments

Ottawa, Canada

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located in Ottawa, Canada
design proposal from 2015

The development consists of a three storey apartment building on Kirkwood Avenue. The building mass, which spans the site from East to West, is composed of two volumes whose vertical faces are shifted to create shadow lines and terraces. The vertical planes’ interplay is emphasized by the materials of the two volumes. The lower volume is clad in dark masonry, which visually anchors the building to the ground, while the upper one is clad in light metal siding. The shifted volumetry is reflected in the windows pattern.
The underground parking ramp is located outside the building in order to reduce the first floor mass and open the view to the depth of the lot. Except for the ramp, the exterior space surrounding the building is dedicated to recreational areas and pedestrian / bicycle circulation. The soft landscaping prevails. In the front yard, the upper volume projection is designed to create a protective and welcoming environment for the main entrance in conjunction with the open landscaping in front of the building. The brick veneer at the street level creates a positive relationship between the proposal and the other residential properties in the neighborhood. In the rear and southern yards the building steps back at the second level to generate private terraces, which extend the recreational area vertically and increase the sun penetration in the adjoining yards.
Inside the building, at each of the three floors above grade, the apartments are set along a central corridor. The apartment size varies from studios to large two bedroom units. All of them benefit from ample day light coming through large windows.