Wollaston

From the beginning, the Wollaston project was conceived as something deliberately different from a conventional townhouse development.

 

While it sits broadly within the “townhouse” category, a better description is house-plex living: homes that capture many of the qualities people associate with a single-family house — space, light, privacy, and a real relationship to the street — while also incorporating some of the best aspects of condominium living, such as accessibility, single-level layouts, and elevated views. All of this is achieved without the common downsides of either model, like narrow floor plans, windows on only one side, or large, impersonal buildings.

 

Rethinking the Typical Townhouse

Most side-by-side townhouses follow a familiar pattern: a garage dominating the ground floor, a small and often awkward entry, and a narrow stair that you have to climb before you even reach your living space. Because of typical lot geometry, those homes are often oriented to the side rather than the street, meaning the building presents its shoulder to the public realm — a weak street presence from both an urban design and livability perspective.

 

The result is often cramped entries, wasted interior space, and homes that feel disconnected from their surroundings.

 

At Wollaston, we consciously chose a different approach.

 

A Front Door to the Street

Instead of driveways and side entries, Wollaston uses a shared exterior stair that directly addresses the street.

 

Each home still has its own clearly defined front door — but those doors are reached by an open, generous stair that becomes one of the architectural features of the building rather than something hidden or minimized. This creates a more welcoming relationship with the street and contributes to a stronger, more human-scaled neighbourhood character.

 

It’s also simply nicer to use. Guests approach your front door from the street, not through a driveway or past parked cars, and the experience feels intentional rather than compromised.

 

Better Floor Plans Through Smarter Circulation

That exterior shared stair also unlocks a major interior benefit: less wasted space inside the homes themselves. Because the stairs are shared, each unit doesn’t need to sacrifice precious square footage to private stairwells and hallways. The result is significantly more usable interior space — space that goes to living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and storage rather than circulation. This is one of the key reasons the homes at Wollaston feel more like houses than townhouses once you’re inside.

 

Three Exterior Walls

Another major advantage of the design is that each unit has three exterior walls, sharing only a single wall with a neighbour. In typical townhouses, long shared walls mean windows are limited to the narrow front and back, resulting in deep, narrow floor plates and constrained layouts. At Wollaston, the stacked configuration avoids that entirely. The result:

 

• Better access to daylight
• Main living spaces with light from more than one direction
• More flexibility in how rooms are laid out, leading to better floor plans
• Homes that feel open, bright, and comfortable throughout the day

 

This quality of light and spatial openness is immediately noticeable and difficult to achieve in conventional townhouse formats.

 

Family-Sized, Not Shrunk Down

A conscious decision was made to resist the “shrinkflation” that dominates much of today’s new housing. Bedrooms are properly sized. Living areas have real breathing room. Circulation spaces are generous rather than pinched. While this approach does carry slightly higher construction costs due to the extra space, the payoff is long-term livability. These homes are designed to comfortably support families, not just meet minimum code dimensions.

 

Designed for Real Life — and Long-Term Living

The generous sizing also allowed the project to follow the Safer Home standard, an accessibility-focused framework that supports aging in place, even though formal certification isn’t being pursued. This isn’t about turning the homes into institutional “accessible units.” It’s about:

 

• Wider clearances
• Easier movement through the home
• Spaces that accommodate strollers, temporary injuries, furniture moves, and changing needs over time
• A shared lift supporting aging in place, easier move-ins, and day-to-day convenience

 

These features quietly improve everyday comfort for everyone, while future-proofing the homes in a way most new construction does not.

 

Quiet, Private Homes

Particular attention was also paid to the floor and wall assemblies between units, with a focus on strong sound separation vertically as well as horizontally. The intent is that each home feels calm, quiet, and private — more like a single-family house than a stacked building.

 

Meaningful, Private Outdoor Space for Every Home

Each unit has its own distinct and usable private outdoor space, tailored to its position in the building.

Unlike the token “postage stamp” yards or undersized balconies common in many projects, these outdoor spaces are genuinely livable — places you’ll actually use, whether for morning coffee, kids’ play, or evening meals.

 

Who These Homes Are For

Wollaston was designed with buyers in mind who could afford a single-family home — and might even consider a very nice one — but who see real value in a different way of living. These homes are well-suited to:

 

• Buyers who want the benefits of new construction — modern layouts, warranties, and low maintenance — but who would not pursue a custom home
• Families who could move farther out to places like Langford or Colwood, but who prioritize a central, walkable neighbourhood
• People who value spending their time living — not mowing lawns, pulling weeds, or managing constant upkeep
• Downsizers who are leaving a single-family house but don’t want a large, anonymous condo building, and who appreciate a smaller, more personal scale of living, with the freedom to travel without worry

 

The location itself is a major part of the appeal. Wollaston sits in a central, walkable, and increasingly vibrant neighbourhood, with easy access to daily needs and family-oriented amenities. Within walking distance are grocery stores, a pharmacy, recreation facilities, parks, restaurants, and everyday services, along with good transit connections and quick access to downtown. It’s a place where daily errands don’t require a car — and where families can genuinely settle in for the long term.

 

Wollaston isn’t just another townhouse project. It’s a carefully thought-through alternative that prioritizes:

 

• Strong street presence and urban design
• More usable interior space
• Superior daylight, privacy, and acoustics
• Family-sized layouts
• Long-term livability and adaptability
• Meaningful private outdoor space