Architect launches own loft project in Corktown
By Sydnia Yu - Globe and Mail
An architect who has worked at such award-winning firms as Architects Alliance and Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc. is developing his own townhouse project in an up-and-coming area south of King Street East and east of Parliament Street.
Brian Kucharski, owner of Gilead Developments, will create eight freehold townhouses — called the Corktown Lofthouses — on a site surrounded primarily by commercial and industrial buildings. “I wanted it to look more like one massive building that was divided up into eight components,” he says, adding that he thinks that design is more in keeping with the character of the surrounding area. The façade will feature black brick, cedar detailing and commercial-grade windows.
The depth of the site is a shallow 55 feet, with a width of 175 feet, a factor that will be offset by a design that emphasizes the vertical. The four-storey units will feature various rooms on multiple levels, all situated off a central staircase.
“The key factor in the interior was to maximize the livable space, so I did a stair that winds around itself, and this forms an atrium in the middle of the townhome,” Mr. Kucharski says. “Most standard townhouses would have a corridor taking away from the living space, whereas that area is put back into living space [here].”
Mr. Kucharski says the design concept and the building’s sleek lines will appeal to the downtown-oriented, creative community, such as those in film, graphic and interior design, and the media.
There is one floor plan for the eight units. The front entrance leads into the studio (with access to an oversized garage), which can be used as a live/work space. Directly above it on the second level will be the kitchen, which will open to the living and dining area. This space will boast 16-foot ceilings, full-height windows and a fireplace.
A mezzanine will overlook the living area, and include a powder room. Further up, the first bedroom will face the street, while the master on the next level will face in the other direction, and feature nine-foot ceilings. Its en suite bathroom will have a shower room with an enclosed tub. Laundry facilities will be located just off the stairs.
At the top of the staircase, there will be a den that opens to a deck. There, an exterior staircase will lead to a 500-square-foot rooftop terrace with “expansive views of the lake and the city,” Mr. Kucharski says.
Standard finishes will include hardwood and polished concrete floors.
For amenities, Gilead Place is home to a new yoga/Pilates studio, and Jamie Kennedy’s latest catering kitchen and restaurant will open there soon.
The UpCountry furniture warehouse is on King East, the Distillery District is nearby, and the Financial District is minutes away via streetcar.
Sales at the Corktown Lofthouses will start later this month. Move-in dates are slated for next summer.
September 2008 Update - The Corktown Lofthouses are now sold out
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