1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
1120 Ossington
What first strikes you when coming upon 1120 Ossington, after the delight of its orange facade, is the seemingly delicate detail of its window shades. Perpetually open, these screens are animated by a decorative infill that casts its happy pattern on the surroundings. It’s an unusual feature for social housing — an uplifting burst of personality that signals you’ve arrived at a place of joy and hope.
Designed by mcCallumSather and Smart Density for St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society, the three-storey, L-shaped building delivers 25 permanent rent-geared-to-income units for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. The entire structural shell of this Toronto supportive housing project was assembled in 17 days using three-ply cross-laminated timber panels CNC-fabricated by Element5 from Ontario-sourced wood and tilted up on a narrow infill site with minimal disruption to the surrounding neighbourhood. The envelope performs roughly 40 per cent better than the national energy code baseline.
1120 Ossington is grounded in the understanding that housing is a critical foundation for health, dignity and inclusion. Each unit is designed as a self- contained micro-apartment featuring a kitchenette and bathroom with the aim of respecting individual dignity and fostering a sense of ownership and belonging. Meanwhile, shared indoor and outdoor spaces provide opportunities for social connection and access to support services. Replacing internal hallways, the building’s open-air exterior corridors eschew the need for elevators while improving daylight and ventilation throughout.
By demonstrating that supportive and affordable housing can be thoughtfully designed and visually engaging, 1120 Ossington challenges the stigma that these types of projects carry. The building fits into its neighbourhood in terms of scale and materials yet stands out for its striking appearance. It knits into its urban milieu while proudly announcing its own identity. Artist Leo Krukowski’s perforated metal screens, patterned after Indigenous forms and plants, are exemplary in this respect: They provide solar shading while giving the building a civic presence that refuses the anonymity so often assigned to affordable housing.
Team: William Neal and Michelle Austin, Nolan Cipriano, Jim Hettinger, David Wharton, Stephanie Hebbes (mcCallumSather) and Naama Blonder (Smart Density) with Lucia Delacoste (ASPECT Structural Engineers), Luke Moir (PM), Rene Girard (Loftin), Leon Dong (Bernie Electric) and Mudit Srivastava (Hammerschlag & Joffe)
