Saanich Mixed-Use
Design / Representation
January 2024 | NORR
95,143 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Alba Guco, Sundus Obaid, Lorena Arriaza)
Since becoming a registered architect, I was entrusted with taking on more of a design leadership role for a project in Saanich. With complex site features including coordinating a road-widening condition and preserving old-growth trees, I was tasked with reviving a handover which underwent many changes before its optimal form. We were able to double the parking following a more intricate read of the by-law and grading changes.
The project consists of a six-storey building with 106 residential units (79 two-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom with two baths, and 5 three-bedroom units) and two commercial retail units (CRUs) on the ground floor. It provides 119 parking stalls in total."
Mahogany Waterside
Design / Representation
August 2023 | NORR
568,099 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Sarah Klassen, Erin Faulkner)
Located on a highly sloped site with a 9-meter drop toward the southeast, this project consists of eight six-storey buildings housing a total of 632 units, achieving a combined Floor-Area-Ratio of 1.56. The development provides 672 parking stalls to accommodate vehicular needs.
This project was a collaborative effort with Sarah Klassen, who led the majority of the building design. My contributions included assisting with the design process, focusing on building entrances and addressing complex site and structural conditions. I was also responsible for technical aspects such as tabulating and managing statistics, generating vehicle swept paths, and conducting by-law and code research to ensure constructability and compliance.
The renderings, created collaboratively with previous designers on the project, were effective in portraying the community's character and the aesthetic harmony envisioned for this new neighbourhood.
Rangeview Sirocco
Design / Representation
December 2023 | NORR
82,478 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Lorena Arriaza, Eilidh Sutherland)
One of the most innovative approaches to using BIM software was an experimental application of design options to modulate townhome units across multiple buildings. This idea, along with its data organization and implementation, was explored by Lorena Arriaza and myself. It involved a frontloaded process—initially characterized by trial and error and iterative reimagining based on data management. Instead of manually repeating design steps for each of the 42 units across 8 buildings, we developed a centralized system where modifications could be made once and applied universally.
These centralized files, unique to two distinct unit design types, were referenced across all views (plans, sections, and elevations). Specific views were then modulated using alphanumerically-coded permutations referencing differing systems within a unit type. For example, roof types could be determined based on whether the unit was flanked by one or two adjacent units and whether the unit stepped vertically. This modeling approach accounted for such conditions without disrupting neighboring units. Other modifiable elements included sub-roofs, balconies, siding features, utility equipment, privacy screens, and internal layouts. Adjustments were organized through a format we called a “design matrix.”
With proper setup, data management, and some minor modifications (e.g., sheet layouts and gridlines), an entire drawing set for each building could be created within hours. Changes distributed from the centralized unit files ensured that annotations, room tags, material tags, slope arrows, and other elements were updated once per unit type, rather than individually for each unit. This significantly reduced QAQC issues and eliminated many repetitive tasks.
The trade-off to this parametrically adaptive system is the increased attention required for data management and the need for above-average skill levels. Additional challenges often arise with later drawing packages. Atypical BIM setups can be hindered by risks associated with process replicability and project turnover. However, the potential for time savings and the improved consistency and quality of drawings may justify these risks."
Huxley Multi-Family
Design / Representation
March 2024 | NORR
170,296 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Trishuda Jain)
Four Buildings in the relatively new area of Huxley, Calgary house 336 units over four five-storey apartment buildings. This project was relatively straightforward, with many rounds of coordination between consultants, including dealing with urban designers, civil engineers and other consultants. I was involved in this project to bring more attention to detail and to clean the drawing set up as a more senior architect. I collaborated with the project manager closely to explore options to optimize City DTR requests against market-driven parameters, client needs, etc.
Additionally, I familiarized myself with technical aspects specific to larger-scale buildings, such as fire-related engineering systems, waste disposal design, and roof drainage coordination, including the development of slope packages.
Hotchkiss Court
Design / Representation
September 2024 | NORR
167,791 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Hau Truong, Cody Vanden Broek)
This project marked the client’s first venture into apartment buildings, and I was tasked with developing a design language that would suit the existing townhomes on the property while remaining appropriate to their style. The client’s goal is to provide true affordable housing, balancing a fashionable aesthetic without overburdening their target market with high costs.
Hotchkiss Court consists of 8 townhome buildings and the aforementioned four-storey apartment building, which contains a total of 72 units. The entire site accommodates 121 units, with surface parking throughout, individual garages for the townhomes, and underground parking in the basement. What made this project unique was that the client’s proforma demonstrated that maximum density isn't always the most profitable approach to a site. Instead, market-driven price signals in certain cases show that mid-density is preferable to higher-density options, which helped clarify many complex decisions.
The approach to the project included innovative efficiencies such as live statistical tabulation, a centralized drawing note database, and reduced error margins and repetitive work through carefully organized parametric grouping. The site layout was optimized repeatedly to achieve the best possible arrangement, considering the lot’s geometry and the hierarchy of governing parameters. One notable solution was repositioning the entrance ramp to the north side of the apartment building to better interface with the internal road networks and grading conditions.
This project was particularly successful in that it didn’t show signs of the many iterative rebalancing efforts involved—which is often a hallmark of good architecture. In ideal cases, these adjustments are so seamless that they go unnoticed and are easily taken for granted.
Carrington Apartments
Design / Representation
July 2023 | NORR
410,512 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Sarah Klassen, Trishuda Jain)
Similar to Huxley Apartments, 432 units are distributed over four six-storey buildings. Unlike Huxley, traditional pitched-roof systems were used, and a central amenity building was designed in the central courtyard. Rudimentary programs were used to visualize this project, such as Enscape and Lumion, where newer projects use Twinmotion.
Kensington Feasibility
Design
March 2024 | NORR
7,318 sq ft
Calgary, Alberta
(w/ Ross Roy)
Aiming to optimize a tight site and propose a land use redesignation, this feasibility study achieves a floor area ratio of 6.86 despite a parcel size of approximately 9,000 sq ft. Eleven floors, plus two levels of parking, were ultimately accommodated, but this likely wouldn't satisfy the client’s proforma. A study was also conducted on using vehicle elevators to maximize parking stalls; however, the cost-to-benefit analysis of this intervention indicated it would have been financially imprudent.
Various Projects
Design / Representation
December 2022 - 2024 | NORR
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Calgary, Alberta
I have also been involved in other projects, such as the Blackfoot Feasibility study, which explored a variety of building typologies, including towers, townhomes, and mid-rise apartments. The majority of units were 1BR, comprising two-thirds of the overall unit count. The iteration presented resulted in 1,064 units, offering surplus parking if required to go beyond an ideal 1:1 parking-to-unit ratio. The location would offer great views of the city and contribute to the City’s Intensification project.
The second sketch shown is a mixed-use tower concept in downtown Calgary. This design would modulate shading conditions using a parametrically developed metal shell, leveraging modern software to mass-customize sculptural forms. This approach could achieve both functionality and elegance without significant added cost. However, a structural void cut from the mid-section of the towers may ultimately result in higher costs.