This steel-framed concrete-block structure is a 28-unit residential conversion project, close to downtown Victoria.

The challenge was to convert an old printing plant that originally looked like a stuccoed shoebox into a contemporary-style condominium with good volume.

Seismic frames pulled onto the outside of the building break up the long elevation line with architectural whimsy while providing earthquake protection. The two flying-roof details, an extension of the balconies, provide a natural extension to the flooring system and a structural logic for the decision. Top-storey mullion windows repeat the grid aesthetic of the seismic frame and open up the spaces for residential use.

One, two and three-strata condominiums take advantage of the slope on which the building was constructed. Four south-facing units have loft areas. Units with and without stairs appealed to a wide range of buyers, predominantly couples without children.

The clients were developers, Daniel Doore and Rick Whysker. 

The project was a runner up in a Victoria Times-Colonist design competition.