Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1054412
58 | DECEMBER 2018 Residences at Acclamation The exterior of the building uses traditional materials that respect the local history yet have a modern feel about them. Brick sits above lime- stone columns and large windows give the building a feeling of openness and engage pedestrians with the building. "A precast structural framing sys- tem was selected by the developer so that building components such as col- umns, beams, walls, and floor slabs can be manufactured off-site then hoisted into place for easy assembly. This methodology provided for the economic construction of the under- ground garage, long clear spans for design flexibility, and speed of installa- tion," says Jean Aubry, project manager, Coreslab Structures. The second floor has office space with full height windows and decora- tive lighting, while high-performance lights at the penthouse level flood the building columns to provide an expe- rience from a distance. Balconies have been designed to tuck within the build- ing face to assist in a lively street edge but to also help with the visual scale. Retail space on the ground floor faces James Street North and 2,000 square feet of commercial space is found on the second floor, which fea- tures full-height windows that again animate the street edge. Residential units stretch from the third floor to the eighth floor with unique features like walk-in closets, wrap-around balco- nies, and high ceilings. "The units are typically larger than most, however a large variety of sizes were offered," says Vogel. "Each indi- vidual owner was invited to meet with the architect to review their design. If they wished to make modifications, the team worked to accommodate their requirements. While this proved chal- lenging, as we are now constructing 71 custom units, the owner satisfaction has been extremely positive." Lancia adds that one of the unique things about this condo design is that each floor is unique in its own way, with no more then two floors being identical. "Also, most of the units are slightly larger in size than what is cur- rently on the market. However the most unique feature for these condo units is the two-way gas fireplaces on the exterior wall," adds Lancia. The large spans between shear walls of over nine metres also proved to be challenging. "To achieve this we had to minimize slab depth in order to maxi- mize floor-to-floor height," says Lancia. Jakub Rudy, senior electrical designer at SEI Electrical Engineering, says that since the building was taking up the majority of the space within the prop- erty his company had to come up with creative ways to service the building, while maintaining reasonable feeder lengths to maintain costs. "We utilized digital metering for the units to save on space and ensured ser- vice rooms took up as little space as possible," Rudy says. "In addition, on one of the side streets the local supply authority had over- head high voltage supply lines serving downtown substations that would cause interference for construction of the building as well as servicing of the prop- erty. We had to work closely with the utility to ensure this could be reworked to allow construction of the building." Being in an urban hub, Roque wanted to ensure the building was designed with generous outdoor space and so most units on the third floor have large terraces. For the mid floors, bal- cony depths were considered to ensure that furniture could be accommodated and large terraces were designed at the roof level for the penthouses, which also have outdoor dining areas. In conclusion, Roque says: "Over the past 30 years our family has been building communities all over Southern Ontario. We value workman- ship and quality and are extremely proud of our team and the finished product that will bear our name." A Coreslab.indd 1 2018-10-31 2:53 PM Plastering.indd 1 2018-11-02 9:01 AM