Windmill Developments is transforming an existing gas station and garage into a bike-centric, mid-rise development at Kingston and Courcelette Roads in the Upper Beaches area of Toronto’s East End.
Named for the street upon which it will rise, Courcelette will be an eight-storey, 57-suite boutique community, with neighbourhood-focused retail on the ground level and a balcony for every suite.
Designed to embrace outdoor living and facilitate a sense of community among residents, Courcelette will follow the One Planet Living framework, which comprises ten principles, including measurements around active transportation, health, and happiness.
The development is targeting LEED Platinum certification and aiming to meet the Toronto Green Standards, Tier 2. The building features a high-performance envelope and a geo-thermal system for heating and cooling. It will also have electric vehicle chargers and infrastructure.
In addition to one bike parking space per suite, the building has a dedicated bike entrance and a bike repair/wash station. Residents, tenants, and the neighbouring community will have access to a car share program.
Programmed amenity spaces will be designed to facilitate opportunities for people to get to know one another. Residents will also have space for herb and vegetable gardens on their balcony, communal outdoor kitchens, and at least one bike parking spot per suite to encourage active transportation.
“Courcelette is a fantastic case in sustainable development, one where we are reimagining a gas station and car-centric business into a sustainable, bike-centric community,” says Jonathan Westeinde, CEO and founder, Windmill Developments. “Not only that, but a lot of thought was put into the design and amenities, where we asked ourselves how we could make happiness an amenity in an intimate building in a unique corner of the city.”
The interiors, designed by TACT Design, take cues from the surrounding neighbourhood and the building’s proximity to green space and the lake. The building features rich, yet simple, stone- and wood-like materials to create a calm and comfortable oasis.
The lobby features small nooks and seating for residents to work or socialize. Adjacent to the lobby, and connected through glazing, is a gathering room, which can be used as an extension of residents’ living and dining rooms to have dinners, meetings, or social events.
The lobby at Courcelette in the Upper Beaches area is connected to a gathering room through glazing.
The ground-level gym includes a light-filled yoga space, cardio equipment and weights. On the seventh floor, small internal amenities support large outdoor common terraces with barbecues, dining, seating, and a fire pit, all with views of Lake Ontario.
“We paid close attention to how the spaces will be used and how people will interact, optimizing them for livability and comfort,” says Michael Krus, principal, TACT Design. “Using simple, natural materials, we’re creating a feeling of elegance akin to the English countryside, making Courcelette a calm space for residents to come home to.”
Courcelette’s amenity program includes a large outdoor common terrace with barbecues, seating, dining, and a fire pit.
With architecture by RAW Design, masonry cladding knits the building seamlessly into the community. The textures and materiality are respectful to the surrounding neighbourhood, naturally integrating it into the evolving fabric.
“Courcelette has been designed to complement the neighbourhood character along Kingston Road, one that has grown and evolved in the last several years,” says Roland Colthoff, director of RAW Design. “The building is respectful of its surroundings, becoming a piece of the puzzle in the Beaches community that people are eager to be a part of.”
