Q4A is the Architect of Record for the Stanley Greene Neighbourhood in Downsview Park, Toronto.
This is a groundbreaking land-reuse project designed in collaboration with TACT Architecture (Design Architect) and Brooke McIlroy (Urban Design/Planning).
Stanley Greene Neighbourhood at Parc Downsview National Park
The land was for this project was occupied by Canadian Forces Base Downsview. After the airfield was closed, the property has been administered by Canada Lands Company as part of the Downsview National Park, the largest urban park in Canada.
Q4A is the Architect of Record on the Stanley Greene Neighbourhood. This project is in collaboration with TACT Architecture (Design Architect) and Brooke McIlroy (Urban Design/Planning).
The Stanley Greene Neighbourhood is the first completed of five residential communities within Canada Lands Company’s redevelopment of Downsview Park and the former Canadian Forces Base Downsview.
The Downsview Lands redevelopment is one of the largest urban-infill redevelopments in Canadian history as well as the site of Canada’s first urban national park. The site offers a mix of residential and recreational space within proximity to developing employment opportunities as well as both York University and Centennial College Campuses.
The community’s Stacked Townhouse and Rear Lane Townhouse components aim to provide the necessary urban-scale density to create active and connected neighbourhood life.
Q4A has been the Architect-of-Record on the project since 2013 and worked to develop the design through construction.
As the first residential development within Canada Lands Company’s long-term redevelopment of Downsview Park, the site aimed to set a variety of significant benchmarks. This included the introduction of municipal and development guidelines aimed at establishing a contemporary architectural character for the masterplan; introducing zoning and planning guidelines that ensures the creation of new affordable housing into the future; and promoting an integrated a walkable network of housing, landscaped amenity zones, and transportation infrastructure that allows for sustained development of a successful community.
The final project provides a mix of market-rate townhomes, as well as affordable rental apartments. As such, like Toronto, the user group is culturally and economically diverse.
The affordable housing – designed to the City of Toronto’s Affordable Rental Housing Design Guidelines – provides much needed rental stock for nearby employment areas within and outside Downsview Park. An affordable housing market-gap with regards to larger family-oriented units was identified and designed for.
This portion of the site is also built above underground parking.
Stanley Greene Family Homes at Parc Downsview National Park
The Stanley Greene Neighbourhood, located in Downsview Park, is the largest urban-infill project in Canadian history. It consists of a mix of 580 single family, rear-lane townhouses and stacked townhouses, embedded in and connected to one of Toronto’s largest urban green spaces.
Q4A worked directly with Canada Lands Company and their development partner, Mattamy Homes throughout the design and construction of the neighbourhood.
The community had many inherent grading challenges as well as an aggressive construction schedule. It’s integration into the Urban National Park set a benchmark for infill adjacencies within a park setting.
The single-family homes are a modern take on the traditional post-war homes of the surrounding North York Community.
With close proximity to public transportation, schools and many community facilities, the master-plan was diverse in typologies to create a community that worked for families and young professionals at all levels of income and lifestyle, including options for multi-generational living in the generous floorplans of the singles-family homes.
