The inaugural development by Blurredge Group — Lippincott Living — is set to break ground this fall in downtown Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood. The development team is a partnership between famed interior design group Cecconi Simone and Netkin Architect. Consistent with their respective backgrounds, the project strives to blur the distinction between interior and exterior spaces through intelligent and sustainable design.
The boutique infill project consists of 8 three-storey townhouses that range from C$869,000 to the low $900,000s. Each townhouse will be approximately 2000 square feet, so roughly $450 per square foot, and will feature outdoor terraces, a balcony, and a myriad of eco-sensitive features. Occupancy is expected in March 2010.
While the project will feature many sustainable initiatives such as green roofs and a LED-ready lighting system (LED lights are expected to be the next big thing), I would argue that perhaps the most significant “green” feature is its location. What’s great about infill developments — particularly ones like Lippincott that offer larger units — is that they create housing options for families in the core of the city. These are not first-time homes for folks on the way to the ‘burbs, these are fully fledged urban residences.
Why does this matter? It matters for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the land being developed is not greenfield land, it’s previously developed land that is simply being brought up to its highest and best use. In other words, no new land is being consumed.
Secondly, the density of a project like this mean that the land is being used more efficiently, than say in the suburbs. It also means that the city is able to service the units at a lower cost. Intensification is quite “green.”
What I’m effectively arguing is that New York is a more efficient city than Los Angeles. Per capita energy consumption is lower in New York because of the sheer efficiency in which the city houses its 8.4 million residents. New Yorkers take transit, they occupy less space, and they live in high-density dwellings. While many would argue that this translates into a lower quality of life, clearly it hasn’t hampered New York as a global city.
Lippincott Living is indicative of Toronto’s maturation as an urban centre. Intelligent design, environmental awareness and more urbanites living in the core are all things we should be striving for as a city.
Images: The Blurredge Group
