DON MOUNT COURT| RIVERTOWNE: THE REGENERATION OF A COMMUNITY

The redevelopment of Rivertowne rehabilitates TCHC’s old rent-geared-to-income (RGI) Don Mount Court project by integrating several new low-rise apartment and townhouse blocks into the surrounding community. This integration is achieved through several design strategies, one of which is the introduction of the archetypal Toronto pattern of urban square, street grid and laneways, newly connected with the existing urban fabric.

The project embraces issues of sustainability in the broadest possible sense. The reintroduction of square, streets, and lanes restores a sense of normalcy and connectedness with the surrounding community. Further community synthesis is achieved through the introduction of new market housing, of identical scale, and character next to the RGI homes, making this the first public housing project in Canada to utilize mixed income housing to break down social barriers and raise economic prospects.

The project is being constructed in several phases, and construction is to span a period of 3 years. Included is the introduction of new, well proportioned streetscapes and parks, pedestrian ways. Technically, the project makes use of varied building forms, ranging from a low-rise concrete and masonry apartment building, to stacked and back-to-back townhouses, both on grade and on a podium above underground parking. Similar details are manifest in all 232 RGI and 187 market and dwelling units, which occupy the 7.7 acre site. These include building elevations and massing proportioned to pay homage to Toronto’s adjacent neighbourhoods, similar brick and precast concrete detailing, and identifiable front doors/entrances, reducing the stigma of previous low income projects.

Through the use of carefully designed detailing, economic wood frame & brick veneer construction is utilized to satisfy matters related to safety, acoustic privacy, and general healthfulness.