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J UNE 2018 | 55 Trio on Belmont PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MELLOUL-BLAMEY CONSTRUCTION INC. Trio on Belmont by ROBIN BRUNET A s is the case with many Canadian cities near a major metropolis, Kitchener is enjoying a steady influx of new residents thanks to its rel- ative affordability. But with the influx comes the need for more rental housing, and Waterloo-based HIP Developments has over the past few years gained prominence for undertaking a variety of new projects in the region – the most notable of which is Trio on Belmont. With condo-style high-end finishes in each of its 412 units, the Trio on Belmont is widely regarded as a jewel in Belmont Village, which is located between down- town Kitchener and Waterloo. Each of the three buildings (of eight, 12, and 14 storeys) features two large penthouse terraces, an outdoor rooftop kitchen, a penthouse amenity room, and eye-catching staggered balconies. Some of the suites look out onto the Iron Horse Trail, which provides resi- dents with convenient biking, walking, and running paths that extend all the way to downtown Kitchener. Randy Renouf, VP of HIP Developments, says, "Construction of the first building, building A, went so well three years ago that we immediately advanced to buildings B and C – which very much pleased owners Realstar. This has been a terrific opportunity to make great use of a site that used to con- tain an old industrial facility." For Andrew Bousfield, principal and founder of ABA Architects Inc., Trio on Belmont was a chance to build upon a positive work relationship previously established with HIP. "This was our second project with HIP and our sec- ond to use a total structural precast system," he says. "The challenge with Trio was that such precast systems can limit glazing, and with Trio we wanted to make a bold design statement." ABA designed building A to fea- ture a perimeter bearing alignment – structural walls aligned parallel to the length of the building slab, exte- rior walls and one corridor wall. "Prior total precast concrete apartment build- ings designed by us utilized a shear wall bearing alignment, meaning struc- tural walls running perpendicular to the length of the building slab," explains Bousfield, adding that his firm worked closely with the precast manufacturer, Coreslab Structures, to optimize the size and number of windows. Given that HIP was looking for an iconic architectural expression, and also considering Bousfield wanted to bring a maximum amount of daylight into the suites, this led to the implemen- tation of staggered balconies whereby balconies were offset one on top of the other, with each balcony enjoying two floor levels of height before the under- side of the next balcony above it.

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