337 MONTGOMERY

// The design of the project is routed in the context of the site and geometry of the lot.  Montgomery and Selkirk Streets come together in one of the few ‘bow-tie’ intersections in the city, and the result is a lot with a very sharp point at its western edge.  Highlighting this geometry quickly became a focus of the project, with early design meetings making reference to the Flat Iron building in New York City.  Instead of a rounded corner at the point we preferred a more angular approach to the corner, one that would allow the building to almost appear two dimensional as if there were simply a façade being propped into place.

The cues from the shape of the site are evident in a number of areas in the building. We oriented the building to be orthogonal with Selkirk Street which runs along the northern border of the site. Montgomery was then used as a reference angle to create the diagonal lines than can be clearly seen in the floor plans and are physically realized in the renderings. The balconies on the upper levels on the north elevation all use this angle as they terminate on their east side, and privacy screens on shared balconies are also positioned at this angle. On the south elevation it is the west side of the balconies that received this angled treatment.

The building is comprised of an 8-Storey podium articulated in masonry with a glassy 12-Storey tower portion above. While an 8-Storey podium is taller than what is typical, we felt this was appropriate given the permitted heights in the area and the immediate precedent for building to 8 storeys.  You can see the existing character of the brick buildings along both streets, and we see our treatment of the podium as something that compliments the existing street edge and the proportion shown will continue to do so as the surrounding lots are developed and increase in height. The podium is highly articulated with a series of recesses for balconies and copper frames that vary in height from 4 to 6 storeys that serve to animate the elevation and assist in the transition in height.

The tower portion of the building transitions to a mainly glazed volume to help make the building feel lighter as it rises above the masonry podium. The glazed treatment is interrupted by expressive balconies that will be comprised of a mix of fritted glass and white perforated panels to create contrast with the cladding of the tower. 

Towards the eastern portion of the site along Montgomery, the building steps back significantly to allow for the creation of an entry plaza.  We feel that this is an important gesture that will benefit the community, creating a place that will benefit both the residents of the building and the neighborhood alike. With the shape and orientation of the lots to the east, it is likely that Montgomery will be developed to at least 8 storeys, so this plaza will provide an important pause for the massing of the streetscape.