Marlee Commons

Marlee Commons was designed with the intent of creating a fluid structure without compromising the experience or aesthetic of the overall project. The entire building is constructed of prefabricated CLT components and a repeating, uniform structural timber column grid that follows an efficient construction logic, thus reducing the need for highly customized components or highly complex structural designs.

The building is composed of a mix of barrier free rental and market value units with multigenerational two-story dwellings facing the west side of the building. While primarily residential, the ground floor is dedicated towards retail spaces which reflect the needs expressed by the community in several OVCO (Oakwood Vaughan Community Organization) workshops. Oakwood-Vaughan residents emphasized the significance of existing facilities that currently occupy the building site; a pharmacy, laundromat, dry cleaners, and variety store. They have been preserved on site to avoid the displacement of local business owners. A small auxiliary building occupies part of the site to host a daycare facility that addresses another pressing need for local residents. The ground floor plaza is landscaped with local grasses and shrubs which maintain year-round visual interest, and the stepped portions of the building are host to outdoor gardens and gathering spaces