Aperture

Located between a single-family neighbourhood developed in the sixties and a rapid-transit station site, this multi-residential project demanded a new form of transit-oriented density that is sensitive to these two contrasting urban conditions. A full city-block site, Aperture responds to this “single-family-transitioning-to-urban” context by stepping-down in scale from a 6- storey midrise block on the arterial, down to two-storey villas, sensitive to the single- family neighborhood to the north. The building blocks are bisected with water gardens and bamboo courtyards that animate volumes with reflective light. The shallow massing results in bright, light-filled residences. Unit mix is much like its diverse neighbourhood, varying from one bedroom apartments to standalone three-storey villas with direct parking access. Stratigraphic architectural themes echo the area’s mid-century modern architectural vocabulary. Cantilever decks and strong horizontal lines and create a sense of lightness and lower the massing profile. PASSIVE SHADING: Façade openings are programmed to provide passive shading, and act like an Aperture: opening and closing in response to the unique solar exposure of each façade. Apertures are deeper on the south elevation to provide increased sun shading, and more shallow and open to the North, to allow for additional light.