Circa Condos

Circa Condos is a major renovation and addition of a multi-plex just steps from the Upper Village in Toronto’s Bathurst and Eglinton neighbourhood. The design transforms an existing historic low-rise fourplex into 8 suites with contemporary interiors, inspired by classic New York brownstones and London walk-ups. Suites offer up to 1,189 square feet of space, generous bedrooms and bathrooms, and open-concept living-kitchen-dining areas.

The transformation brings freshness to Toronto’s condo market with a more intimate walk-up atmosphere, more space, abundant light, and efficient design.

The design of Circa Condos combines the convenience of condo living with the scale and intimacy of a family home, which was one of the key goals for this project. With two units on each floor, from a light-filled lower level to a new third floor addition, the project offers new life and density to a building type found on many main streets in Toronto. Originally a two-storey building with unused basement, the completed project doubles the property’s density without changing the look and feel of the building or neighbourhood.

Each floor is home to two luxury apartment units, each oriented to the opposite side of the property. A parking area and access to storage lockers are located behind the building. Each unit has privacy, sound isolation, and its own dedicated south- or south-west facing outdoor space.

Six units occupy the three upper floors, with two- and three-bedrooms, two full bathrooms, walk-in closets, and in-suite laundry. The lower level was fully underpinned to provide ample ceiling height and to create a large outdoor terrace for the front unit which is sunken from view and dappled with light.

The construction of this project required full underpinning of the lower level, including expanding the excavation to create the sunken terrace. The floor slabs were constructed with a composite steel slab, consisting of steel joists fully integrated with steel pan and concrete topping. This provides for long spans across large, open-concept spaces, maintaining ample, column-free ceiling heights. Great attention was given to sound-proofing between units, including acoustic clips and tracks to isolate vibrations.

The existing solid brick exterior is blended into the addition with new brick veneer applied to the first two feet of the third floor, which was then painted to match. The result is a seamless blend between old and new, giving a sense of belonging and permanence to the completed building.