For Calgary residents, finding good quality multi-family housing options are slim when your options are limited to downtown condo towers or, as the television series Weeds theme song by Malvina Reynolds quips, the “ticky-tacky houses” of the sprawling suburbs.

Sadly, the options in Calgary are few and far between. Fortunately Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design found the opportunity in spearheading the Hannon Richards Wesolowski 3Unit Multi-family Residence.

In addressing this triplex, Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design took cues from housing precedents in both Montreal and New York. The direction for the design was influenced by the proximity to the streetscape and the adjacent building. Positioned on a corner between a single family home and commercial spaces, the residence bridges the scale and uses of the surrounding architecture.

Two interlocking volumes form the building, with the front portion being brick and the rear stucco. The building contains 3 units – one on the main and lower level, a second level single storey space while above it, a 2 storey unit with an impressive double-height volume. Having a central-service core, the entertainment zones are generous while the sleeping areas are more compact. The use of vertical windows are integral to the modern aesthetic, creating slices of light while affording privacy between inside and out. Outdoor terraces connect residents to the neighbouring landscape.

_{All images courtesy of Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design}

In urban centres where multi-family residences are rare, the Hannon Richards Wesolowski 3Unit exemplifies how good architecture can artfully create inviting residential options.

You can see more on the Hannon Richards Wesolowski 3unit by clicking here, and more Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design projects here!

Researched and written by Sara Nicole England, undergraduate student of OCAD University in Criticism and Curatorial Practice.