Windsor Student Housing

2016

Early in 2016, Passa Architects was contracted by a development company interested in developing student housing in the Windsor downtown area. The development group requested that Passa Architects develop preliminary design schemes for a number of options for high-rise student housing with the primary focus on apartment style new builds or renovations of an existing 18 storey hotel building with a similar methodology. Various potential sites were analyzed to determine maximum bed numbers each could provide, parking requirements able to be met, and that municipal bylaws and code requirements could be addressed successfully. Various designs ranging from phased high-rise new build apartments, to renovating the existing hotel building, to multiple unit ‘stacked townhouses’ were investigated and developed to a preliminary level to ensure the planning and cost estimates were accurate. General specifications were developed including mechanical and electrical new work and renovations required to allow for a general contractor to provide updated costing based on the constantly modified and evolving design information to determine if the project was ultimately financially feasible for the developer. The project is still pending Owner approval to proceed.