Linebox wins with a design that reimagines a community hub in Vanier

This past weekend Linebox beat out some the of city's top architects and big-budget projects in the category of "Best Mid-Rise/High-Rise development in Ottawa" as awarded by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA) . St.Charles Market was some six years in the making and the design reimagined the purpose of the former church. The journey to today's final development project began at an art show held inside the former church early in 2014.

Verve Moderns had set up shop inside the former church and frequently hosted vintage furniture and art shows inside the expansive church space. Linebox Principal Partner and Architect, Andrew Reeves who lives in the neighbourhood, attended one of these shows in 2014. He was stunned and amazed by the potential of the space. Soon after the show, there were murmurs that the property would soon be coming to market and that the Diocese was looking for engaged and responsible buyers. With this in mind, Andrew began to obsess about what could become of the former church and its sizeable property along the bustling Beechwood corridor. Given the importance of the church to generations of community members, it was clear that whatever happened, needed to include and serve the Vanier and Beechwood communities.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE

The architectural design that emerged centered on a series of 54 "horizontal homes" that enveloped the church building. The new build borrowed proportions from the church and applied them to the spacing of windows, entrances, and openings. The units or "horizontal homes" are larger than most modern condos and allow for comfortable living spaces. Design details in St.Charles church also inspired detailing in the new design. The shape of the "rosette" window above the church's main entrance was laser cut into the railings on each of the balconies and larger versions were stamped into the concrete in the lobby and elevator bays. The building's exterior material selection is a large terracotta tile that complements the brown brick of the church without trying to mirror it. A modern version of stained glass is used in dramatic fashion to mark the entrance of the new building.

An important aspect of the design involved two large public areas directly in front of the church and all along Beechwood. This invited the public to continue to interact with the grounds of St.Charles in different ways. In recent weeks a street festival was held along Beechwood and the square in front of St.Charles Market was bustling with food trucks, beer tents, kids and entertainment including drag queens. This is exactly the kind of energy and animation that was envisioned for this important community hub.

A huge thank you to the entire Linebox team who worked very hard to bring this project to life. We're very proud of this project and thrilled that exciting and innovative architecture is possible in urban Ottawa.

Mathieu Fleury Rawlson King Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA)

Ottawa Tourism Ottawa Board of Trade Ottawa Business Journal

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