Superseding an existing slab apartment in Church-Wellesley Village, 48 Isabella Street introduces a striking 69-storey tower that will deliver 814 new homes to Toronto’s housing market, including 84 rental replacement units. As one of the tallest towers KIRKOR has designed, it sets a new benchmark for a context-sensitive, urban infill development that achieves both height and density.
Building on our first collaboration with Hollyburn Properties at Westerly 1 & 2 in Etobicoke, our shared vision for 48 Isabella Street is to design another transit-oriented development that optimizes and enhances the numerous transit stations, restaurants, shops, schools, and community services, all within walking distance.
At KIRKOR, Design Living means every design decision is intentional. This case study focused on two key design priorities for 48 Isabella St., elevating the streetscape within the context of heritage neighbours and designing more human-scaled amenity spaces for high-rise environments. By aligning the podium height and setback with the heritage building a consistent frontage was achieved, not to mention creating more space for pedestrians. This sidewalk was further improved with landscaping, most significantly the addition of five new shade trees and community bee hives. Above this activated streetscape you’ll find two amenity pods; these are double-height sections that introduce a sense of openness and visual relief, breaking down the verticality of the tower and creating a unique human-scaled space within a high-rise environment. These pods also have the potential to unlock exciting opportunities for urban agriculture and community-focused programming.
Alongside other transformative developments shaping Church-Wellesley Village, we’re proud to contribute to this vibrant part of Toronto with 48 Isabella Street, strengthening the neighborhood’s character and expanding Toronto’s housing options.
