3 minute read
Reina: Queen Of The Condos
Architect director, Heather Rolleston describes what a condominium looks like when it’s inspired, designed and executed by women
Reina: Queen of the Condos
BDP Quadrangle, Urban Capital and Spotlight Developments joined forces to undertake an experiment. They assembled a team of female experts from architecture, engineering, construction management, legal, marketing and sales to create a cutting-edge condo designed and developed solely by women.
The idea was for women to lead the entire development process from design to construction; principally to draw awareness to the gender imbalance that exists in global real estate, but also to promote a diverse range of female role models to help encourage more women into the industry. Set, as fate would have it, on the site of a demolished gentleman’s club, the new development is proudly named Reina, the Spanish word for queen.
One of the most important aspects of this project was the year-long public consultation process. Feedback was obtained from a wide array of users, including multigenerational families, parents with young or adolescent children, and singles. The resulting design is a striking, contemporary midrise with atypically large, flexible floor plans and an amenity programme that pioneers community cohesion and fosters interaction between neighbours.
Rising nine storeys on the Queensway in Toronto, Reina articulates a soft, lighter presence in its suburban setting and stands out as an original design without overwhelming the existing streetscape. The white brick exterior creates a quilted effect with soft curves and rounded corners, offering generous setbacks on the east and west. This creates a sequence of picketed balconies with views over the courtyard - an urban oasis in an otherwise busy city.
Reina’s lobby is flooded with light, and the double-height windows frame views of the landscaped courtyard, inviting nature indoors. Vivid jewel colours shine in contrast with the lobby’s timber finishes and neutral palette, setting a mood that is both vibrant and serene.
Active lifestyles are catered for by a gym and yoga studio equipped with weights and resistance training for a range
of abilities. Cleverly designed to support modern lifestyles, the exercise area is strategically located adjacent to the kids' playroom so that parents can keep an eye on their children through the windows while fulfilling their fitness goals. A hobby room, designed as a messy room, invites residents to unleash their inner artist , while the sound(less) room can be used for music lessons, to host a karaoke party, or conversely, to meditate. All family needs have been considered, with a library, a parcel room, a games room, and a community room available for all hosting needs.
Raising a family in a high-rise building is becoming more commonplace for urban Canadians. During the design process, we took inspiration from the City of Toronto’s Growing Up: Planning for Children in New Vertical Communities Urban Design Guidelines - incorporating three-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans sized to exceed, where possible, the requirements for larger and growing families.
Our consultations revealed that storage was a major issue. Many felt that space would always be at a premium in a condo so we tackled the issue head on, making stroller parking available on all floors, with suites arranged to maximise existing storage opportunities or support add-ons. Floor-toceiling rolling doors, nine feet high ceilings, open-concept kitchens with built-in pantry and integrated bookshelves, together with vanities with undermount sinks and mirror medicine-cabinet hybrids all contribute to a spacious environment. Externally, the feeling of space continues as the expansive terraces on the south side of the building, along with spectacular double-storey penthouses on the eighth and ninth floors, overlook the courtyard and the Etobicoke lakefront beyond. Space, nature and beauty combine to create useful, calming and thoughtful environments.
The Reina team recognises the importance of exceeding expectations; an all-woman team is unorthodox and expectations are high. It is our hope that all-women teams will be so commonplace in the future that this sort of collaboration won’t attract comment. But until such a time when the development, design and construction industries reflect the wide range of diverse and talented thought leaders, we will continue to share our ideas and designs for progressive places which optimise quality of life, not just for females, but for everyone.
Reina team
