Our masterplan for the Don Mills redevelopment project is tested here with one of the first residential buildings for its integration of modernist ideologies borrowed from the mid-century plan, now intensified with the multivalent and diverse infusion of mixed-use architecture.

Two 11-storey towers are connected by a podium bridge. Together they introduce the newly imagined Don Mills Centre with an unexpected architecture wrapped by balconies of undulating ribbons of glass and perforated metal. The project expands the entire site, and addresses residents approaching the building from the mall or street side without feeling like one is more important than the other.

Borrowing from sculpture practice, the building is conceived ‘in the round’ meaning it has been designed with equal consideration for all sides. No units are privileged over others.

Ultimately the building envelope is extruded to maximize efficiency, while subtle shifts in each projecting balcony create a continuous and shifting flow in the building shape to offer flexibility in unit distribution where suite designs benefit from unique two-part balustrades that balance abundant light and views with privacy for residents. The strength of this approach is that we eliminate the problematic ‘inside corner’ and every unit effectively becomes a desirable ‘corner unit’.