urban_design_brief_1235_1253_richmond_street_2011_01_19

8/7/2019 Urban_Design_Brief_1235_1253_Richmond_Street_2011_01_19

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UrbanDesignBrief AbodeVarsityLiving 12351253RichmondStreet

Page|1 ZelinkaPriamoLtd.

Tab le of Conte nts

Introduction

Sec tions 1 Land Use Planning Contex t

1.1 The Sub jec t Land s1.2 The Proposa l1.3 Design Goa ls and Ob jec tives1.4 Design Response to City Doc ume nts1.4.1 Multi-Family, High Density Reside ntia l Polic ies1.4.2 North Lond on/ Broug hda le Comm unity Polic ies1.4.3 Bonus Zoning Polic ies1.4.4 Urban Design Policies1.5 Spatia l Ana lysis1.5.1 Co mm unity Context (400m)1.5.2 Co mm unity co ntext (800m)1.6 SWOT Ana lysis1.7 Conclusion

Sec tion 2 Design Princ iple s and Design Responses

2.1 Co ncep tual Design

2.2 Pub lic Rea lm

2.3 Susta inab ility Tec hniques

Figures

Figure 1 Sub jec t Land s

Figure 2 Spatia l Ana lysis (400m)

Figure 3 Spatia l Ana lysis (800m)

Figure 4 Site Photo Sub jec t Land s 1235, 1237, and 1245 Richmond Stree t

Figure 5 Site Photo Sub jec t Land s 1247 and 12 53 Richmo nd Stree t

Figure 6 Site Photo Richmo nd Stree t Looking North

Figure 7 Site Photo Richmo nd Stree t Loo king South

Figure 8 Site Photo Houses on the Opposite Side of Richmond Stree t

Figure 9 Site Pho to Ross Pa rk

Figure 10 Site Photo 1201 and 1205 Richmo nd Stree t

Figure 11 Site Photo 1205 and 1223 Richmo nd Stree t


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Figure 12 Site Photo 1265 Richmond Stree t

Figure 13 Richmo nd Stree t Loo king North to Mount St. Josep h Tow er

Figure 14 Site Plan conc ep t

Figure 15 Richmond Stree t Eleva tion

Figure 16 Richmond Stree t Perspec tive View

Figure 17 Richm ond Street Perspec tive View 2

Figure 18 Ma in entranc e and Ca fe Area on Ric hmond Stree t

App endix A Neighbo urhood Charac ter Statement

App endix B Com pa tibility Repo rt

App endix C Shad ow Study

Co nsulting Tea m:

Zelink a Priamo Ltd.

SRM A rchitec ts


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Introduction

The sc op e a nd c ontext o f this Urban Design Brief for Abod e Va rsity Living s p ropo sedred evelop ment of the ir lands at 1235-1253 Ric hmond Stree t ha s be en e xpand ed to inc lude

content that would normally be contained in a Neighbourhood Character statement and a

Co mp a tibility Rep ort a s req uired by Sec tion 3.7.3.1 Residential Intensifica tion (req uest fo r Bonus

Zon ing p ursua nt to policy 19.4.4) of the City of London Offic ial Plan. The inclusion o f this c onte nt

into this brief has resulted in the modification of the typical structure expected for an Urban

Design Brief.

SECTION 1 Land Use Planning Context

1.1 The Sub jec t LandsThe sub jec t land s a re loc a ted on the w est side o f Richm ond Street North, sout h of the Thame s

River, and a re de sc ribed munic ipa lly as 1235-1253 Richmo nd Stree t. The site is c om prised o f five

sep arate lots, ea ch c onta ining a single-de tached dw elling. Collectively the sub jec t lands form a

rectangular shape and have a total land area of 0.78 ha (1.92 ac) with a combined street

fronta ge of approxima tely 123 me tres (440 ft) fac ing o nto Richmo nd Stree t. A roa d w idening

ded ica tion would reduce the o verall site a rea to a pp roxima tely 0.69 hecta res (1.71 ac ).

1.2 The ProposalThe p rop osal is for the red evelop ment of the subjec t land s throug h the d em olition of the 5

existing houses and the c onstruction o f a new 18 sto rey apartme nt build ing. The new b uild ing

has been purposely designed to accommodate a student population and will contain

app roxima tely 311 two bed room units. A 2 level pa rking struc ture a ttac hed to the rear of the

apa rtment b uild ing w ill provide 174 pa rking spa c es.


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1.3 Design Goa ls and Objec tivesThe ove rall go al for the rede velopment of these land s is to p rovide an attrac tive a nd e ffec tive

alternative to the existing types of accommodations available within the near campusneighbourhoods. In order to effectively achieve this goal for these lands the following design

ob jec tives have be en ide ntified :

Provide a red eve lopm ent p lan and building design for these land s tha t will be supp ortiveof transit and alternative transit modes with the aim of reducing vehicular trips to the

University of Western Onta rio and nea rby c om merc ial and rec rea tional amenities;

Enhance the visual qualities of the streetscape by making a positive addition to theexisting pattern of medium and high rise apartment buildings on the west side of

Richm ond Street;

Create a strong new visual foc al po int within the stree tsc ap e a nd t he surround ing area ; Provide a building design that through the combination of its massing, orientation,

pedestrian entrances, architectural elements, detailing, and material selection will

improve the pe de strian expe rience along this sec tion of Richmo nd Street ;

Locate the apartment building close to the street to support an urban image for thestreetscape;

Create a n attrac tive interfac e be twee n the ap artment building and Ric hmond Streetthrough the design and construction of an attractive landscaped urban forecourtbe twee n the front fac ad e a nd the street;

Loc ate the resident s c om mo n a rea s and am enities in the low er leve ls of the build ing tosupp ort visua l and physica l interac tion with the pub lic stree tsc ap e;

Provide op po rtunities for further enhanc em ent o f the stree tsc ap e w ith the introd uc tion ofpublic am enities suc h as a c offee shop or c af o n the ground floor with an outdo or pat io

fac ing o nto Richmo nd Stree t;

Plac e a ll structured p arking be hind the a pa rtment b uilding a nd aw ay from pub lic view ; Take step s to effec tively limit the visibility of the parking structu re from the pub lic trail

a long the Thame s river; and

Develop a land sc ap e p lan that helps to visually integrate the new de velop ment in to thesurrounding environment.


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1.4 Design Response to City Docume nts

The d esign p olices relevant to the p rop osed develop ment are taken from the C ity of Lond onOfficia l Plan Ame ndme nt N0. 438. The sub jec t land s a c urrent ly designa ted Multi-Family, High

Density Residential in the C ity of Lond on s Officia l Plan. The c urrent app lic a tion see ks to ma ke

use of the Bonus Zoning Policies cont a ined in the C ity of Lond on Offic ial Plan. The policies tha t

are relevant to the p rop osed de velop ment a re outlined be low.

1.4.1 Multi-Family , High Density Residentia l Polic ies

The p rop osed deve lopme nt is consisten t with the policies und er Sec tion 3.4 of the Offic ial Plan a s

follows:

The p rima ry permitte d uses within the M ulti-Family, High Density Reside ntia l designa tioninclude low-rise and high-rise apa rtment b uild ings; ap a rtment ho tels; multiple-atta ched

dwellings; emergency care facilities; nursing homes; rest homes; homes for the aged;

and roo ming a nd bo a rd ing houses (Sec tion 3.4.1).

1.4.2 North Lond on/ Broughd ale Com munity Polic ies

The subjec t land s a re situate d within the North Lond on/ Broug hdale Neighb ourhood (gene ra lly

bound ed by the Thames River on the north and we st, Oxford Street on the south, and Ad elaide

Street o n the e ast), which is gu ided by the p olicies of Sec tion 3.5.9 of the O ffic ial Plan.

Sec tion 3.5.9 notes tha t, mu ltip le unit residential develop me nt is d irec ted to tho se a rea swithin the Oxford, Ric hmo nd, a nd Ad elaide Stree t North co rridors tha t a re d esignate d

Multi-Family, High and Multi-Family, Medium Density Residential.

1.4.3 Bonus Zoning Polic ies

The de nsity of the prop osed de velopme nt (450 units/ ha) exce ed s the de nsity c urrently pe rmitted

(150 units/ ha ) for the sub jec t lands. How eve r, the na ture of the develop me nt, in terms of its

de sign and the overall be nefit provided to the c om munity, ena bles the increase in density to b e

provided through Bonus Zoning and subseq uent Zoning By-law Amend me nt. The follow ing

policies app ly to p rop osa ls for Bonus Zon ing:

Council, under the provisions of policy 19.4.4 and the Zoning By-law, may allow anincrease in the density above the limit otherwise permitted by the Zoning By-law in return

for the p rov ision of c ertain pub lic fac ilities, ame nities or design fea tures. The m aximum

cumulative bonus that may be permitted without a zoning by-law amendment (as-of-

right) on any site shall not exceed 25% of the density otherwise permitted by the Zoning

By-law. Bonusing on ind ividua l sites ma y exce ed 25% of the density otherwise p ermitted ,

where Co unc il app rove s site spec ific bonus reg ulations in the Zoning By-law. In these

instanc es, the ow ner of the sub ject lands shall enter into a n a greem ent w ith the City, to

be reg iste red aga inst the t itle to the land (Sec tion 3.4.3.iv).


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1.4.4 Urban Design Polic ies

The fo llow ing relevant p olicies a re set o ut und er Sec tion 11.1 of the O ffic ial Plan a nd a re

addressed und er Sec tion Two o f this Brief:

The d eve lopm ent w ill have reg a rd fo r, and c om p lem ent, surround ing natural featuressuc h a s the Tha me s River to the north a nd we st, as well as parkland on the e ast side of

Richm ond Street (Subsec tion i);

Existing trees will be maintained where possible (Subsection ii); A high standa rd of d esign will be provided along Richmo nd Stree t, which is a ma jor

ent rywa y to the C ity (Subsec tion iv);

The ma ssing of the develop me nt is c onsistent w ith ad jac ent uses. A distinc t andat trac tive visual identity will be c rea ted (Subsec tion v);

Five (5) single-detached dwellings, currently situated between existing high-riseapa rtme nt buildings, will be rep laced with one high rise a pa rtme nt b uilding (Subsec tion

vi);

Street -oriented fea tures have be en included that p rovide for the enhanc em ent of thepedestrian environment, such as outdoor patios and multiple connections between the

building a nd the p ublic spa c e o f the stree tsc ap e (Subsec tion viii);

The d esign and po sitioning of the building has reg ard fo r the imp ac t of the proposeddevelopment on year-round sunlight conditions on adjacent properties and streets

(Sub sec tion ix);

Landscaping will be used to enhance the appearance of building setbacks and yardareas, and to screen parking, loading, garbage and service facilities from adjacent

p roperties (Sub sec tion x);

The City of Lond on Fac ility Accessibility and Design Sta ndards will be p rovided tofac ilitate acc ess and use (Subsec tion xii);

Parking facilities and driveways are located to the rear of the site and have beendesigned to facilitate manoeuvrability on site and to reduce any potential traffic flow

d isrup tion resulting from turning mo vem ents to and from the p rop erty (Sub sec tion xiii);

A design to minimize the loss of privacy for adjacent residential properties have beenp rovided (Sub sec tion xiv);

Indo or rec rea tional and am enity spa c e is being p rovide d (Subsec tion xvii); Waste ha ndling, com po sting and rec ycling fac ilities have be en inco rporated into the site

design (Sub sec tion xix).


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1.5 Spa tial AnalysisThe sub jec t land s are w ithin a b uilt-up residential po rtion of the North Lond on a nd have b een

previously developed as five single detached houses and are currently designated and zoned

for Multi-Family High Density Reside ntia l uses. Richm ond Stree t is a m a jor arterial road a nd transit

route within the City of London connecting the Downtown to with the University of Western

Ont ario and t he Masonville com me rc ial area . Pub lic Transit along this sec tion of Richm ond Street

p rov ides c onnec tions to m any a me nities inc luding : University Hosp ital, St. Josep hs Hosp ital,

Fanshaw e Colleg e, and Richmo nd Row .

1.5.1 Com munity Context (400m)The sub jec t land s are loc ate d on t he w est side o f Richmo nd Stree t in an a rea that forms pa rt of

a large b od y of land c ontained w ithin a b roa d m ea nde r in the north branch o f the Thame s

River. To the we st of the subjec t lands lie the op en spa c e a nd wo od banks of the river with the

c amp us of the University of Western Onta rio. On the ea st side of Richm ond Street ac ross from

the subjec t land s there is a row of six single de tac hed house fac ing onto Ric hmo nd Stree t a nd

Ross Pa rk with its trails and pa rking a c cessed from Richmo nd Stree t. To the sou th Berna rd

Avenue and Ma yfair Drive co nnec t to the e ast side of Ric hmond Street c rea ting a

neighb ourhood of one a nd two single d eta c hed houses zoned R1-5(3) similar to those found on

the ea st side of Richm ond Street w ithin the 400m rad ius. St. Luke s Ang lic an Church, a n

attractive modest yellow brick Victorian era church is located on the southeast corner of

Ric hmo nd Stree t and Bernard Avenue . Adjac ent to the subjec t lands to b oth the no rth and the

south a re high-rise a partme nt b uild ings. These e xisting a partme nt b uild ings a t p art o f a row of sixexisting a partme nt build ings build a long the w est side o f Richm ond Street w ithin the 400m rad ius

a ll zoned R9-7 H45.

1.5.2 Com munity Context (800m)

Within the 800m radius, the community context expands to include more existing low density

resident development as well as a wide range of institutional uses including: much of the

c amp us of the University of Western Onta rio, University Hosp ital, and King s Co lleg e on Epwo rth

Avenue, The Ivy Spenser Lea dership Ce ntre, Spenser Hall, and The Siste rs of St. Josep h Residenc e

on Winde rmere Roa d. In add ition to these institutiona l uses the 800m rad ius cap tures the e dge o fmedium density housing at the northeast corner of Richmond and Windermere Road,

Windermere on the Mount (formerly the Mount St. Josep h) senior s apa rtme nts on the sout hea st

c orner of Windermere Roa d and Richm ond Street, stud ent residenc es on University Drive, and a

sma ll c luster of c om me rc ial uses on the we st side of Richm ond Street a t Huron Street .


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1.6 SWOT Analysis

An analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats presented by the combinationof the neighb ourhood c ontext and the p rop osal, c an be summa rized as:

Strengths

High Visibility The Sub jec t Land s Are Currently Und erutilized for Land Use De signa tion Direc t Ac c ess to Ma jor Transit Route Strong Esta b lished Ped estrian Environm ent Attrac tive Stree tscape Easy Walking Distanc e to University of Western Ont ario a nd Co mm erc ial Ame nities Close Proximity to Ross Park and the Tha mes River Trail System Esta b lished Patte rn o f High Density Residential in Ne ighb ourhoo d App rop riate Loc ation for Student Ac c omm od ation Buffered From Existing Low Density Residential Minima l Shad ow Imp ac t on Surround ing Land s

Weaknesses

Traff ic Noise Lot Depth

Opportunities

Esta b lish a New Visua l Foc a l Point o n Richmo nd Stree t Enha nc e the Existing Pattern o f High a nd Med ium Rise Build ings Provide Visua l Inte rest in the Stree tsc ape Prov ide an Ap propriate Forma l Street Presenc e Loc ate Parking Unobtrusively

Prom ote Alternat ive Transporta tion Co ntribute to the Stability of the Nea r Ca mp us Neighbo urhoodsThrea ts

High Traffic Volume s on Richmo nd Stree t Traffic Noise From Richmond Stree t


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1.7 ConclusionsThe p rop osed develop ment for the sub jec t land s is c onsistent w ith the c ha rac ter of the

neighbourhood and respects the established pattern of development along this section of

Richm ond Street. The sub jec t land s a re w ell loc a ted to sup port pub lic transit as we ll as

alternative mod es of transit and are p osition at a point on Richmo nd Stree t nea r the g eo grap hic

centre of an extended cluster of institutional uses and within reasonable distance of a wide

range of reta il, c om merc ial, and rec rea tional am enities.

The Neighbo urhoo d Cha rac ter Stat em ent c onfirms tha t the propo sed de velopment respe c ts

the existing neighbourhood as follows:

The subjec t lands and the p rop osed de velopment are loc ate d w ithin an existing pa tternof high-rise de velopment.

The a d jacent low de nsity residential neighbourhood s a re sep a rate d from the p rop oseddeve lop ment a nd a re b uffered by the river, op en spac e, Richmo nd Street , and the

existing ad jac ent high-rise build ings.

The p rop osed apartme nt build ing is oriented to a nd c learly ad d resses the street in afashion tha t is typical o f the ad jac ent single de tached houses on Richmo nd Stree t. Unlike

all of the existing neighbouring apartment buildings, the proposed building does not

p resent a n end eleva tion to the street o r has its front doo rs fac ing a n interior side yard .

The site p lan for the propo sed de velopment locate s pa rking a t the rea r of thedevelopment away from the streetscape which is consistent with the adjacent singledeta ched houses a long Richm ond Street. This pa rking structu re w ill be sc reened from

Tha me s River trails by existing vegeta tion.

The urba n forec ourt that ha s been d esigne d to run c ontinuously along the length o f thestreet frontage of the subject lands will assist in maintaining the green image of this

sec tion o f Richm ond Stree t.

The C om pa tibility Rep ort also c onfirms that t he p rop osed de velopment is c om pa tible with the

surround ing neighb ourhood , given tha t it inc orpo rat es the fo llowing key fea tures:

The p rop osed north/ south bu ild ing orienta tion will red uc e the visua l site lines betw ee nwindo ws in the proposed building and windo ws in the two ad jac ent residential high-rises

and reduce potential shadow impact on the windows and balconies of the high-rise

building to the no rth.

In a dd ition to a c a fe the c om mo n a rea s for the residents suc h a s exerc ise, rec rea tional,and meeting room s will be loc at ed on the first a nd sec ond floo rs along Richmo nd Stree t

to enc ourage v isual and soc ial interac tion with the neighbourhood .


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To a ncho r the p rop osed de velop ment into the streetsca pe and the urban fa bric of theneighb ourhood , a p arking lay b y is p rop osed to b e loc ate d w ithin the Richmo nd Stree t

right-of-wa y in front o f the new ap a rtme nt building.

The two end c om po nents or wings have be en further defined through the reduc tion ofthe ir height from 18 sto reys to 16 sto reys. These c ha nges to the build ing he ight ha ve bee n

introduced to assist with visually integrating the proposed 18 storey building with the

adjac ent 14 storey ap a rtment b uildings to no rth and south.

The c olours and finishes of m asonry c lad d ing material suc h as a rc hitec tural stone, b ric kand precast panels will be selected based on the range of colours found within the

existing neighbourhood with specific reference to the single detached houses on this



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SECTION 2 Design Princ ip les and Design Responses

2.1 Conc ep tual Design

The ne w build ing is prop osed to b e o riented along Richmo nd Stree t a nd po sitioned c lose to the

street line, ap proximately 4.5 met res from the ultima te w idth o f the Richm ond Street rights-of-

wa y. This p rop osed spa tial orient a tion results from the com bination o f the p hysica l proportions of

the subject lands and the desire to bring the massing of the building forward to support the

stree t line and to estab lish a mo re a pp rop riate relationship to Ric hmo nd Stree t tha n was

achieved b y the existing row of high rise apartme nt buildings. This north/ sou th building

orientation also reduces the visual site lines between windows in the proposed building and

windows in the two adjacent residential high-rises. Further the proposed north/south orientation

of the new building will result in reduced shadow impact on the windows and balconies of the

adjacent high-rise building to the north. Additionally this building location allows parking to be

loc ated be hind the b uilding aw ay from p ublic view.

In plan the footprint of the proposed building has been divided into five major components

through c hang es in the plain of the front fac ad e. The two end co mp onents or wings have b een

further defined throug h the red uc tion o f their height from 18 sto reys to 16 sto reys. These c hanges

to the plain of the front elevation and the accompanying changes to building height have

been introduced to provide visual interest and to softening the buildings visual and physical

presence.

Ove rall, the build ings eleva tions have been divide d into a series of mo dulate d c om ponents that

are d efined b y co mp lementa ry cha nge s in height, massing, and c ladding m ate rials. Theselection and disposition of cladding materials corresponds to established principles of

architec tura l design. The de sign rec og nize the d ivision and a rticulation of the base, midd le and

c ap of the b uilding b y plac ing a rchitectural stone a t the b ase, followe d by a n arrang eme nt of

brick and precast panels above, culminating in a significant increase in glazing on the upper

floo rs. The ap pe aranc e of all of the building eleva tions have b een further artic ulat ed b y

introd uc tion of co rnices that d efine the ma jor c hang es in c ladd ing ma terials on the e levations.

The d esign of the first three sto reys of the Richm ond Street fa cade ha s bee n integ ra ted w ith the

ground p lain to c rea te a pa ved and land sca pe d urban foreco urt along Ric hmond Street. The

design of this facade provides space for a cafe with a landscaped outdoor patio facing onto

Richm ond Street a nd c lea r c onnec tions be twee n the b uilding a nd the pub lic spa c e o f thestree tsc ap e. In ad dition to the c a fe, com mo n areas for the residents suc h as exerc ise,

rec rea tional, and meeting room s will be loc ate d on the first and sec ond floo rs a long Richmo nd

Stree t to enc ourage visua l and soc ia l interac tion with the neighbo urhood .

The ma in entranc e a rea for the a pa rtment building is loca ted at the southe rn end of the front

elevation directly adjacent to the cafe and is marked by an entry canopy, a change in

c ladd ing ma terials, and a 5 storey high c olonnade.


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The front fac ad e is p rop osed to c onta in a signific ant am ount o f glazing on t he lower floo rs to

provide light to the c om mo n area s and residential units that fa c e onto Richmo nd Stree t and tosofte n the building s integ ration into the streetsc ape. To prov ide visua l and p hysica l refe rence

to the single family houses within the area and to provide a sense of human scale the lower

portions of the facade have been designed to includes a series of canopies, brise soleil, and

projec tions to e sta b lish a c lear p rog ression of d a tum lines a t the sec ond , third and fourth floo rs.

Vehicular ac c ess from Richmo nd Stree t is proposed to b e a cc om mo da ted with two a ll turns

driveways. One driveway will be located parallel to the southern property line and will provide

access to the lower parking level as well as to the garbage pickup and moving day loading

a rea . The othe r d rivew ay is loca ted pa rallel and a d jac ent to the northern prope rty line and

provides access to the upper parking deck which will also located at the rear of the apartment

building.

2.2 Pub lic Rea lm

The site plan p rop oses the c rea tion of a parking lay b y locate d within the Ric hmo nd Street right-

of-way in front o f the new a pa rtment build ing. This lay by has be en d esigned to p rovide 9

pa ra llel pa rking spaces for drop o ff/p ickup and short term pa rking needs. This lay by

reintroduc es on street p arking to this sec tion o f Richm ond Street in a limited wa y.

Betwee n the c urb line o f the street and the front fac ad e a land sc ap ed forec ourt is proposed to

be c rea ted through the c omb ination of land s within the p ublic bo ulevard a nd the front yard ofthe ap artment building. This forec ourt will function b oth as an extension of the public sidew alk

and as a continuous ped estrian c onnec tion to the bu ilding. This area will be d esigned with

decorative paving patterns, trees, and raised planters in such a way as to create an attractive

pe de strian environm ent tha t supp orts the urba n imag e o f the stree tscap e.

2.3 Sustainability Tec hniques

Although the de ta iled a rchitec tura l and eng inee ring de signs for this build ing ha ve no t yet been

und ertaken the a pp licants, as part of the ir business p lans for these renta l units, a re co mm itted to

pursuing energy conservation as a cost control measure. It is anticipated that the following

susta inab le de sign fea tures will be a mo ngst those c onside red in the fina l design:

Light c oloured non-hea t a bsorbing roofing finishes to reduc e he at island effec t; Water efficient land sc ap ing; Energy savings throug h the use of effic ient b uild ing systems; Storag e a nd c ollec tion areas for rec ycling; and Increase natural ventilation effectiveness;


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Figure 1 Sub jec t Land s


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Figure 2 Spatial Analysis (400m)


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Figure 3 Spatial Analysis (800m)


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Figure 4. 1235, 1237, and 1245 Richmond Street

Figure 5. 1247 and 1253 Richmond Stree t


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Figure 6. Richm ond Street Loo king North From the Sub jec t Land s

Figure 7. Richm ond Street Loo king sout h From the Sub jec t Land s


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Figure 8. Houses on The East Side Of Richmond Stree t Opposite the Sub jec t Land s

Figure 9. Ross Park


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Figure 10. 1201and 1205 Richmond Stree t

Figure 11. 1205 and 1223 Richmo nd Stree t


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Figure 12. 1265 Richm ond Street

Figure 13. Richm ond Stree t Loo king No rth To M ount St. Josep h


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Figure 14 Site Plan C oncep t


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Figure 15 Richmond Stree t Eleva tion


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Figure 16. Richmo nd Stree t Perspec tive View


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Figure 17. Richmo nd Stree t Perspec tive View 2


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Figure 18. Main Entranc e a nd Ca f Area on Richm ond Street


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NeighbourhoodCharacterStatementforAbodeVarsityLiving December21,2010

1|P a g e

Appendix A

Neighbourhood Charac ter Statement


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2|P a g e

1235-1253 Richmond Street

Ab od e Varsity Living

Neighbo urhood Charac ter Statement

The sub jec t lands 1235-1253 Richm ond Street a re c om prised of a n row of five large lot single

detach houses isolated in a larger row of 6 apartment buildings on the west side of Richmond

Street loc a ted south and e ast of the no rth b ranc h of the Tha me s River. These land s p rov ide a

unique opportunity to fill an apparent gap in this near continuous local street wall of high-rise

apa rtment b uildings in a wa y that w ill imp rove the existing streetsc ap e a nd p rovide a new visual

foc a l po int along this sec tion o f Richm ond Street b etw ee n the University ga tes and the river. The

follow ing Neighb ourhood Charac ter Statem ent d esc ribe s how the p rop osed deve lop ment has

be en d esigned to respe ct c harac ter of the Neighb ourhood .

Charac ter and Imag e:

The subjec t land s are loc ate d on the we st side o f Richmo nd Stree t in an a rea that formspart of a large body of land contained within a broad meander in the north branch of

the Tha me s River. Richm ond Street is a ma jor arteria l roa d and transit route w ithin the City

of London connecting the Downtown to with the University of Western Ontario and the

Ma sonville co mm ercial area a nd m any rura l c om munities to the no rth.

To the we st the o f the sub jec t lands lie the floo d pla in and wo od ba nks of the river with

the campus of the University of Western Ontario on its west bank. Due to the density of

existing vegetation on intervening public and private lands the subject lands are not

visible from the Tha mes River tra ils.

The ne ighbo uring land direc tly adjac ent to the w esterly property line at the rea r of the

sub jec t land s is wo od ed . To the east of the sub jec t land s on the ea st side o f Richm ond

Street is a row of 6 single d eta ched house fa c ing onto Richm ond Street a nd Ross Park

with its trails and pa rking ac cessed from Richmo nd Street . The wo od ed ed ge of the river

and the op en spa ce be yond a re visible to the ea st a s the street a pp roa c hes the b ridg es

c rossing the river.

Richmo nd Street within the area of the subjec t land s is fram ed by a forma l row of five

mid and high rise apartment buildings on the west side and by mostly single detached

houses on the ea st side. The subjec t land s for the proposed new ap artment b uilding a re

comprised of five of six house lots located between two of these existing apartmentbuild ings on west side of Richm ond Street.

The e xisting a partme nt build ings a re fo r the m ost pa rt c learly rep resentat ive of 1960s

provincial modern apartment architecture of varying visual quality and exterior

c ond ition. This group of b ric k clad build ings range in height from the 4 sto reys of 1267


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Richm ond Street to the 14 sto reys of 1265 Richm ond Street. These b uild ings tha t have

been developed separately have evolved as a series of slab buildings sited edge on to

Richm ond Street. This esta b lished build ing orienta tion is fac ilitate d b y the d ep th of the se

lots which for the m ost pa rt exce ed s the d ep th of the lots tha t form the subjec t lands. All

of these existing ap artment b uildings a re sited ba ck from projec ted ultimate roa d w ith of

Richm ond Street. None o f these existing apartme nt build ings p rov ide fea tures ora rchitec tura l elements that a ttem pt to ad d ress Ric hmond Street while seve ra l provide

parking between the building and the street. Collectively this row of buildings successfully

frame s and defines this sec tion o f Richm ond Street. When viewed from the south this row

of ta ller buildings frame the v isua l terminus c rea ted b y the b ell tow er of Moun t Sa int

Josep h a s Richm ond Street jogs and c rosses the river. When view ed from the north, on

Richmo nd Stree t, ap proa ching the river and the b ridge s, the ta ller build ings provide a

strong visual terminus as the street jogs to the east.

With the excep tion o f St. Luke s Ang lican Church the ea st side o f Richm ond Street is

c om po sed of a b lend of mo stly bric k one a nd tw o storey single d eta c hed houses. While

there are several houses that appear to have been built as infill in the 1960s the majorityof these houses app ea r to ha ve b een built in the early de c ad es of the Twe ntieth

Ce ntury. For the most pa rt these houses a re sited relat ively c lose to the p rojec ted

ultima te w idth o f Richm ond Street w ith varying b ut rela tively simila r front ya rd d ep ths.

Although som e o f houses on c orner lots flank onto Richm ond Street the ma jority clea rly

add resses the street with t heir ma ssing, fron t d oo rs, po rc hes, and fene stration. There a re

only a few p rop erties with d rivewa ys ac c essing onto Ric hmond Street and parking in

front yards. For houses on the ea st side of Richm ond Street t he ma jority of p a rking is

p rovided in rea r yards ac cessed from sha red rea r lanewa ys. This pa tte rn of single

detached houses is repeated along Raymond Avenue and Bernard Avenue east of

Richm ond Street. The houses a long these streets lead ing from e ast from Richm ond Street

a re similar to those found on Richmo nd Stree t save fo r the add ition of individuald riveways and the o p tions of p arking in front , side a nd rea r yards.

The a bsence o f pa rking in front ya rds ha s supported the p resenc e o f tree s in front ya rds

and within the municipal right-of-way in some locations. Although the boulevards

between the curb and the sidewalk are narrow and there is no regular pattern to the

p lanting o f tree s on p ub lic or priva te p rop erty this stretc h of Richm ond Street c an still be

fa irly desc ribed a s having a g ree n and tree lined . This sec tion of Richm ond Street in the

a rea just south of the river wa s onc e view ed as the northern limit of the urba nized portion

of North Lond on p rior to the d evelop ment of the Ma sonville area.

The new develop ment is prop osed for a loca tion tha t is within a long estab lished existingpatte rn of a partment buildings a long the we st side of this sec tion o f Richmo nd Stree t a nd

as suc h will not b e a dd ing a new o r unexpec ted building form o r volume to the west side

of the stree tsc ape along Richmo nd Stree t. The d esign of t he p rop osed building p rovides

a contemporary interpretation for design of high-rise apartments that will visually elevate

the image of the streetscape by providing a higher level of architectural detail and

attention to massing and building orientation that is currently provided by the existing

apa rtment buildings.


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The new d eve lopm ent w ill p rovide a new visual foc al po int south o f the river asRichmo nd Stree t enters the neighb ourhood and the old no rth area of the C ity.

Site Design:

The p rop osed de velopme nt has provide d a de sign for an a pa rtment b uilding tha t c lea rlyeng age s the stree tsc ap e a nd the pub lic rea lm. This has be en a c c om plished by b ring the

building close to the ultimate width of the rights-of-way, locating community uses and

resident amenities at grade along the streetscape, providing an landscaped urban

foreco urt, and c rea ting a c learly rec og nizable front d oo r onto the stree t.

The pa rking struc ture in the rea r of the p rop osed deve lop ment will not b e v isible from thestreet a nd w ill be obscured from view a long the p ub lic Thame s River trails by the volume,

height, and bread th of existing trees and vegeta tion o n b oth p ublic and private land s

locate d to the we st of the sub ject land s.

The loc at ion a nd north/south o rientation of the ma ss of the prop osed building will red ucethe possible shadow impact of the proposed development on its neighbour to the north

and will make a c ontribution to the e xisting and e stab lish pa ttern of shad ow s p rod uc ed

by the other five high-rise b uild ings on the w est side of Richm ond Street.

The p rop osed deve lopm ent w ill continues the treed imag e o f Richmo nd Stree t with thep lanting of trees in the foreco urt while p resenting a formal urba n imag e to the street .

Servicing:

By placing all parking in the rear of the building and away from public view and thestreetscape the proposed development will closely follow a pattern for the location of

parking e stab lished by the adjacent single d eta c hed houses along Richmo nd Stree t and

not c onsistently ad hered to by a numb er of the existing apartment b uildings.

The d esign a nd exterior ma terials of a ll a rea s of the eleva tion o f the p arking structurethat a re read ily exposed to p ublic view will be integrated into the de sign o f the a ttac hed

residential build ing.

Visitor parking will be accommodated within the attached parking structure andadjacent to the ma in front entry at the southeast corner of the b uilding.

All ga rba ge and rec ycling w ill be stored within the b uilding envelope and picked up o nassigned da ys at a de dica ted loa ding area.


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CompatibilityReport forAbodeVarsityLiving December21,2010

1|P a g e Z e l i n k a P r i a m o L t d .

Appendix B

Compatib ility Report


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1235-1253 Richmond Street

Ab od e Varsity Living

Com pa tibility Report

The sub jec t lands 1235-1253 Richm ond Street a re c om prised of a n row of five large lot single

detach houses isolated in a larger row of 6 apartment buildings on the west side of Richmond

Street loc a ted south and e ast of the no rth b ranc h of the Tha me s River. These land s p rov ide a

unique opportunity to fill an apparent gap in this established pattern of high-rise apartment

buildings in a w ay tha t w ill imp rove the e xisting streetscap e a nd provide a new visua l foc al p oint

a long this sec tion o f Richm ond Street b etw een the University ga tes and the river. The fo llow ing

Comp at ibility Rep ort outlines how the prop osed de velop ment has be en d esigned to supp ort the

stree tscape of Richmo nd Stree t and urban fa bric o f the neighbo urhood.

Built Form Elem ents:

The new building is prop osed to b e o riente d along Ric hmond Stree t a nd po sitioned c loseto t he street line. This spa tial orienta tion w as selec ted to b ring the ma ssing o f the build ing

forward to support the street line and to establish a more appropriate relationship to

Richmo nd Stree t tha n w as ac hieved by the e xisting row of high rise a pa rtment b uildings.

This north/ south b uild ing o rient a tion a lso has the bene fit o f red uc ing the visua l site linesbe twee n window s in the p rop osed building a nd windows in the tw o a djac ent reside ntial

high-rises. Further the p rop osed north/ south o rienta tion o f the new build ing w ill result in

reduced shadow impact on the windows and balconies of the adjacent high-risebuilding to the no rth.

To a ssist in integ ra ting the proposed building into the stree tscape and the fab ric of theneighbourhood an urban forecourt is propo sed to b e c rea ted be twee n the c urb line of

the street through the combination of lands within the public boulevard and the front

yard of the ap a rtment b uilding. This foreco urt w ill function b oth as an extension of the

public sidew a lk and as a continuous pe de strian c onnec tion to the b uilding. This a rea will

be d esigne d with de c orative pa ving pa tterns, trees, and raised plante rs in suc h a wa y as

to create an attractive pedestrian environment that supports the urban image of the

streetscape.

The d esign o f first three sto reys of the front e leva tion p rovides spac e fo r a c a fe w ith aland sca pe d o utdoo r pa tio fac ing onto Richm ond Street a nd c lea r c onnec tions be twee n

the building and the pub lic spa c e of the streetsc ap e. In ad dition to the c afe, com mon

areas for the residents such as exercise, recreational, and meeting rooms will be located

on the first a nd sec ond floo rs along Richmo nd Stree t to enc ourage visual a nd soc ial

interac tion w ith the neighb ourhood .


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To further assist in a nc horing the proposed de velopment into the stree tsc ape and theurba n fab ric of the neighbo urhood a pa rking lay b y is proposed to b e loca ted within the

Richm ond Street right-of-wa y in front o f the new apa rtment build ing. This lay by has

been designed to provide 9 parallel parking spaces for drop off/pickup and short term

parking nee ds. This lay b y reintrod uc es on street parking to this sec tion o f Richm ondStreet in a limited wa y.

The ma in entranc e a rea for the apartment b uild ing is loca ted at the southe rn end of thefront elevation fac ing the urba n forec ourt, direc tly ad jac ent to the proposed pub lic ca fe

and is marked by an entry canopy, a change in cladding materials, and a 5 storey high

c olonnade . The co mb ination of loc ation, c anop y, and c olonnade w ill clearly announce

and identify the main entrance and enhance the buildings connection to the

streetscape.

Massing and Articulation:

In plan the footprint of the proposed building has been divided into five majorc omp onents through c hange s in the plain of the front fac ad e. The two end

components or wings have been further defined through the reduction of their height

from 18 sto reys to 16 sto reys. These c hanges build ing he ight ha ve b een introd uc ed to

assist w ith visua lly integ ra ting the p rop osed 18 storey b uild ing w ith the a d jac ent 14 sto rey

apa rtme nt buildings to no rth and south.

The g oa l of the d esign of first three storeys of the Richm ond Street e leva tion ha s bee n tointegrate the building with the ground plain to create a paved and landscaped urban

foreco urt a long Richmo nd Stree t.

Architec tural Treatment:

Overall, the buildings elevations have been divided into a series of modulatedcomponents that are defined by complementary changes in height, massing, and

c lad d ing ma terials. The selec tion and d isposition of c lad d ing ma terials c orrespond s to

estab lished p rinc iples of a rc hitec tural design. The d esign recog nize the d ivision and

articulation of the ba se, midd le a nd c ap of the b uilding b y plac ing a rc hitec tural stone a t

the b ase, followe d by a n a rrang eme nt of b rick a nd preca st p ane ls ab ove, c ulminating

in a significant increase in glazing on the upp er floo rs. The a ppe aranc e o f all of the

building elevations have been further articulated by introduction of cornices that define

the m ajor cha nge s in c ladding m ate ria ls on the e levations.

The c olours and finishes of m asonry c lad d ing material suc h as a rc hitec tural stone, b ric kand precast panels will be selected based on the range of colours found within the

existing neighbourhood with specific reference to the single detached houses on this



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The front fac ad e is prop osed to c onta in a significant am ount o f glazing o n the lowe rfloors to provide light to the common areas and residential units that face onto

Richmo nd Stree t a nd to soften the b uild ing s integ rat ion into the stree tscape . To provide

visual a nd physic al referenc e t o the single fa mily houses within the a rea and to provide a

sense o f human sca le the lowe r portions of the fa c ad e ha ve b een de signed to includesa series of c anop ies, brise soleil, and p rojec tions to estab lish a c lear progression o f da tum

lines a t the sec ond , third and fourth floors.


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1|P a g e

Appendix C

Shadow Study


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urban_design_brief_1235_1253_richmond_street_2011_01_19

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