Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/109465
32 Camden by Robin Brunet renderings courtesy core architects inc. ��� he challenge of any developer ��� especially in a sophisticated market like Toronto ��� is to create buildings that are efficient, will capture the public���s imagination, and enhance the esthetic landscape of their surroundings. Sorbara Development Group���s 12-storey 32 Camden condominium in Toronto���s trendy fashion district does all that. Plus, it lives up to Sorbara���s ���Designed for Living��� philosophy: that attention to the details of how people live is the most important element of design. With just 87 suites and a gross floor area of 82,900 square feet, 32 Camden provides downtown living on an intimate scale. Sorbara is marketing the facility as the antidote to multi-unit residences that look more like office towers, and indeed 32 Camden with its intricate glazing, stepped-back terraces and concrete architectural flourishes could look just as easily at home on the French Riviera as in downtown Toronto. The building also boasts a landscaped front entrance, green roof, lounge, fitness room and on-site bikesharing and car-sharing programs. For the actual suites, which are divided into studios, one bedrooms, three bedrooms and penthouses, Sorbara has included private balconies or terraces. Project architect Charles Gane of Core Architects Inc. calls 32 Camden ���an example of a good urban infill building��� designed in a ���rugged manner��� reminiscent of the warehouses that dominate the neighbourhood. For the record, Sorbara chose Core to design the exterior and interior components based on its experience with downtown living projects such as Fashion House and M5V, both located on King Street West. Although 32 Camden posed a few structural challenges, Stephenson Engineering Ltd. structural consultant Joseph Gasdia says ���there really wasn���t much discrepancy between the original design intent and the final outcome. In fact, given the challenges inherent in T 32 Camden p64-67_32Camden.indd 65 Given the challenges inherent in a project that has a small footprint, it was a pleasant surprise to see all the elements come together in a relatively short space of time.��� ��� Joseph Gasdia, structural consultant, Stephenson Engineering Ltd. a project that has a small footprint, it was a pleasant surprise to see all the elements come together in a relatively short space of time.��� One of the goals from the outset was to limit 32 Camden���s parking space, since residents would have easy access to mass transit and be within easy walking distance to all urban amenities. ���In total, only 11 parking stalls were allotted which simplified construction inasmuch as no underground parking was required. Only a nominal basement was needed for electrical and the elevator system,��� says Core project manager Eric Tang. City building regulations proved to be an asset to the design process. To meet Toronto���s infill requirements, the seventh to ninth floors had to be set back by three metres and the top three floors another three metres; instead of being a deficiency, this enabled the terraces to be built especially deep. Tang points out that ���we maintained a high grade with respect to our construction materials, including superior glazing and high-performance insulation. We designed the terraces to have reflective hard landscaping in order to reduce urban heat build-up, and for our green roof we used a low profile mat system with carefully selected plants that will, after a few years, become selfsustaining ��� no watering required.��� To echo design elements of nearby warehouses, a precast concrete frame projects outward from the first six floors of 32 Camden. ���We wanted to give the building a natural cast-in-place concrete look to fit in better with its neighbors than it would if we had done a shiny glass building,��� says Gane. Gasdia notes that the frame���s projection had to be reduced somewhat. february 2013��� ��� /65 13-01-22 3:40 PM