Work

The Wilbrod Apartment Conversion and Addition

The Wilbrod Apartment Conversion and Addition

Project Type Stacked Housing
Client Private
Neighbourhood Sandy Hill, ON
Concept Multi-Residential Housing
Contractor The Client

The Wilbrod Apartment Conversion and Addition client requested a design to convert an existing rooming house interior with an addition to create 20 apartments. The majority of the apartments are one-bedroom, but some are studios. The neighbourhood of Sandy Hill is one that requires careful consideration of the neighbourhood context, heritage considerations, urban design, and client project desires.

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Site

The site for the Wilbrod Apartment Conversion and Addition is situated mid-block of an urban street in the Centre Town Area of Ottawa.  The project is located in the Sandy Hill Cultural Heritage Character Area, verifying our desire to fit the project into the neighbouring context.

The history of this location is fantastic it once housed students studying Theology, it also housed students of the nearby culinary school and most recently functioned as a rooming house.

Appearance

ARCA-VERDE desires to arrange the addition project so that it does not dominate the existing structure. We intend to work with the existing materials, proportions and horizontal lines to mary the new with the existing.  However, the detailing of the new is modest compared to the existing as a function of budget and to allow the existing structure to be prominent on the site.

Functional Description

The new configuration will provide 20 apartments with one-bedroom and studio layouts. They are intended to serve the neighbouring students of the University of Ottawa.  The apartments are designed to support the lifestyle of a University Student.  Also included is a barrier-free suite and access ramp.

Material and Design Features

  • Brick matching the existing
  • Wood shakes matching existing
  • Modernization of the existing interior