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Costain Townhouses in Fallingbrook and Briarbrook

February 11, 2017, 2:23 pm
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As a continuation of my regular posts on Costain/Coscan, below are Coscan's townhouse designs from Fallingbrook (Orleans) and Briarbrook (Kanata) from the early to mid-1990s:
One aspect that characterizes Coscan's townhouses from this time is that for any given design there were numerous facade/elevation options. This was an effective way of creating visual variety, especially on streets where there are many rows of these units. 









The smaller designs in the series do not have an ensuite bathroom off of the master bedroom, but have a "cheater door" to the main bathroom instead.















Some of the homes in this collection have a design element that continues to be common, even in new-build townhouses where the stairway to the basement is at the back of the house. The large window in the stairwell is designed to let light in to the finished family room in the basement. I have seen a few iterations of this type of layout and it is not always effective in bringing natural light in to the basement, despite the intention of the design.








This design and the Yellow Birch (pictured below) are unique in that there is a main floor window between the garage and the front door. It is far more common in townhouse designs to have the front door located right next to the garage with a window to the other side. 




















A limited number of unique bungalow designs were also built as a part of this series of townhouses:








The houses depicted below were built at a later date than the ones above, and it is interesting to note how the larger plans have very spacious ensuite bathrooms, such as the Rideau and Saguenay. These two designs also have a main floor family room.
































This small development of townhomes was one of the last built by Coscan in Ottawa. The designs are all relatively small. In the past, townhouses built by Coscan had brick accents, but these units are fully clad in siding.






























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Parkwood Hills and Crystal Beach

February 23, 2017, 12:37 pm
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A blog reader recently reached out to me asking about a detached Minto house in Parkwood Hills. I realized that I was due for a post on the detached houses in that area, so here it is. Many of the same early designs built in Parkwood Hills were also built in Crystal Beach, so this post includes both areas. I previously wrote on Crystal beach in the following post: Crystal Beach

I have long considered the Parkwood Hills area as being south of Meadowlands Drive, but it seems as though there were other pockets to the north that were built before the Cityview and Skyline areas were developed. Was this area also called Parkwood Hills, or does it have another name? If any of my readers has insights, I would love to hear them. 

Below is a plan of Crystal Beach I have in my files, but I am unsure of the date or who produced it.
The price list below includes a few developments in addition to Parkwood Hills. From what I understand, Bellands is east of Qualicum (I think), Fairfield is just east of Bayshore Shopping Centre, and Lakeview is southwest of Corkstown Road and Carling Avenue. 



There are a few plans that I am missing from these price lists, so if any of my readers have them I would love to add them to the blog: 

- Washington
- Fairview
- Glenwood
- Arlington


The plans below are not of the greatest quality - but they are all I have. I have also included other (and better) versions of the same plans that I have on file.

The York plan shown above won Minto a Canadian Housing Design Award in 1964. Below is the article on the award home:









The Bayview plan shown above also won Minto a Canadian Housing Design Award in 1969. Below is the article on the award home:





Ottawa Citizen February 23, 1962




In 2011 I wrote a whole blog post on the Alpine plan. Check it out at: Anatomy of a plan Alpine



Ottawa Citizen March 9, 1962












Below is a Parkwood Hills brochure from 1960:














The price lists below are from 1966. I have included the plans I have on file that were offered in Parkwood Hills. Some plans have multiple versions, but I wanted to share them all.


























The brochure below mentions both Parkwood Hills and Crystal Beach on the cover, but was from a time after most of those areas were developed (after 1970). It does have a great map of Minto neighbourhoods across the city, so I still wanted to include it. Interestingly, Crystal Beach is not shown on the map, and all of Parkwood Hills is denoted as a rental community, presumably as the for sale houses were completed by this time and only Minto rentals remained.

I found this brochure among my plans. I suspect it is for the rental townhouses in Parkwood Hills.





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"All Dressed Up And Priced to Go" - Coscan in the 1990s

March 19, 2017, 2:54 pm
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The following designs were built by Coscan in the 1990s in the Orleans neighbourhood of Fallingbrook and in the Kanata neighbourhoods of Briarbrook and Bridlewood. Four collections are shown below, The Masters Collection, The ForestWood Collection, the Premier Collection, and the Windsor Collection. The lot widths (and the house sizes, in many cases) increase with each collection of plans.

Coscan was quite prolific with building a wide variety of designs in the 1990s and I will do a follow up post (or two) with the remaining plans from the 1990s.

 v
 






The Masters Collection of houses presented below are in many ways a continuation of the early Tempo Collection, and some of the plans are updates of older designs. All of the designs are under 2,200 square feet. The houses are characterized by protruding two-car garages, common in narrow detached house designs at the time, yet some of the smallest designs have a one-car garage.




























The Bronte design has a unique master bedroom suite layout, with a sitting room next to a raised bedroom and ensuite that is designed so the family room below has a higher ceiling.








Coscan was one of the few builders that started offering bungalow designs in the 1990s. While common in the mid-century, most builders only built two-storey designs by the 1980s. The design above is a rare example of a very narrow (and long) bungalow layout from the time.




The ForestWood Collection of houses were built on larger lots compared to the preceding plans shown. This Collection has a namesake used by Costain/Coscan for many years as shown on a previous post: The Forest Wood Collection. Some of the plans are updates of those from this older Forest Wood Collection. 

All of the plans in this collection have a main floor family room, dinette/breakfast room off of the kitchen, and a luxurious ensuite off the master bedroom. Some plans even have a main floor study/library. All but 2 plans (one is a bungalow) are over 2,000 square feet.

2218 square feet


2030 square feet


2488 square feet


2188 square feet

















The Premier Collection has some of the largest designs built by Coscan at the time; all but the bungalow design are over 2,300 square feet. Like the ForestWood Collection, some of the designs are updates of earlier plans such as the Callaway and Cranston Hall (previously in the Forest Wood Collection).















The Windsor Collection are some of the widest and most luxurious designs by Coscan from the time. Of interest, these designs appear to have been influenced by those built by Brookfield Homes in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Coscan eventually became Coscan-Brookfield and is now known as Brookfield Homes, so things may have already been in the works for the changeover in the mid 1990s.

All of the plans (except the bungalow design) have very impressive foyers with ceilings that are open to the second level.
































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Minto Heritage Homes

April 1, 2017, 7:47 am
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During the mid-to-late 1960s, Minto built a series of houses as a part of their Heritage Homes. These designs did not have formal names, but instead were given letters. Below are the plans that I have from the Heritage Models. Many of the designs are similar to those built by Minto in other areas - but with different names.

These houses were built in areas that included Briargreen, Graham Park and Skyline.
















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Coscan in the 1990s Part 2: Bungalows, Visions, Sunporches and Price Breakthroughs

April 16, 2017, 10:28 am
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During the second half of the 1990s Coscan released many different series of houses, including townhouses, bungalows and two-storey designs. In some cases the designs were different spins on old plans, but there are also quite a few new plans.

Below are plans for houses built in Fallingbrook (Orleans) and Briarbrook (Kanata); most of the designs were built in both neighbourhoods.
The designs below are all high-ranches (also sometimes called raised bungalows), with the master bedroom on the main level. Two of the plans have the secondary bedrooms in the basement, while two have a second bedroom on the main level with the others on the lower level. The layouts would likely appeal to empty nesters, and not families with young children. 











A handful of these designs were also built in Fallingbrook. 









The "Vision" detached homes are characterized by protruding garages, and most have a front door that cannot be seen from the street as it is tucked in behind said garage. The "Vision" aspect is a marketing spin for designs that were very much a product of their time. 







The "Vision" townhomes are very similar to other Coscan townhomes at the time, just re-branded. 







The "Sunporch Series" is a small collection of houses in Fallingrbook that were built with screened porches on the back. All plans were built with a finished rec room in the basement. I am missing the Canberra plan.








Some of the "Price Breakthrough" plans are nearly identical to the "Sunporch Series", only without the screened porch and without the finished rec room in the basement.













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A Few Teron plans in Beaverbrook

April 22, 2017, 12:38 pm
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Longtime blog readers will know that I am absolutely ga-ga over the houses in the Beaverbrook area of Kanata. Over the years I have posted plans, but I do not think I have ever shared this package of plans that I have. I do not have a date for these houses, nor do I have a price list, but below is a site-plan and some floor plans that I acquired at some point in time. Of note is the B-50 plan, a rare design that was not built in large numbers.




The layout of the OH - 1 design below is interesting in that the bedrooms on the second floor are very large - even larger than the main floor master bedroom.

An interesting aspect of most of the designs below (and a couple above) is that the space next to the kitchen is called the "Family Room", yet I suspect many homeowners use the space as a dining room or breakfast room, especially in the designs without a space dedicated to dining. This family room space open to the kitchen, instead of a breakfast room, was common in the 1960s and 1970s in California houses, and it clearly made its way to Ottawa.





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The final posting of Costain/Coscan plans

May 13, 2017, 1:55 pm
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It has been a while since I first embarked on a project to scan and post all of the Costain/Coscan plans that I have in my collection. This is the final installment from my collection of plans that were built in Ottawa by the builder.

These plans in particular were all printed as large fold-out brochures, making them tricky to scan - but I have done my best!

The "Look of New England" designs were built in the Fallingbrook area of Orleans and very few were actually built. The houses are quite narrow and have protruding garages, a common design of the time. In more recent years builders have shied away from these types of houses (sometimes called "snout houses"), in favour of houses where the garages are recessed in to the facade. 






















First introduced in the early 1970s, the ForestWood Collection took on many incarnations over the years. Here are the most recent plans (c. 1999) in the collection built by Costain before they ceased operations in Ottawa. These were built in Fallingbrook.






















The Heritage Hills neighbourhood in Kanata was the last project Coscan built in Ottawa:

The Carriage Homes in Heritage Hills are a modern take on the linked townhouses first built by Costain in the 1970s in Blackburn Hamlet and Convent Glen.






























































After the millennium Coscan ceased operations in Ottawa, although I am not sure why. The company continues to build in the Toronto area under the name Brookfield Homes, and is part of a larger company that builds across North America.
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The cover house

May 27, 2017, 1:37 pm
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When I first started this blog I wanted to choose an image of a house that really defined the mid-century modern style in Ottawa. Over the years I have had many comments on the image, with many readers saying they even recognize the house. 

While many builders constructed similar models in the city, the one I chose is from the cover of a c.1959 Campeau brochure for Queensway Terrace and Bel-Air Heights. 


Campeau had a number of similar style side-split designs, but the one specifically depicted in the image is the B-21 plan shown below. So, now you know!





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Regional in Convent Glen

June 18, 2017, 12:55 pm
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By request, below are the plans for the houses built by Regional in Convent Glen, Orleans. These houses were built on the following streets: Acadian Gardens, Beaujolais Crescent, Bordeau Grove and parts of Vineyard Drive, between 1978-1984.

The exteriors of the houses are a good reflection of the styles of the time - straddling the mid-century modern/1970s contemporary era and an interest in more traditional design that became popular in the 1980s.  

Also of note is how the layouts are compartmentalized with separate rooms, as opposed to a more open concept arrangement. This is also a sign of the times where there was a movement away from the open concept layouts found in some mid-century modern houses. It would be interesting to see how many of these houses have been renovated to open up the kitchens to the family rooms, now that open concept layouts are en vogue again.


















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The Beaverbrook Project

July 12, 2017, 1:47 pm
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On the weekend I had the pleasure of taking the walking tour of the Beaverbrook neighbourhood in Kanata offered by Heritage Ottawa. A big thank you to all who were involved, especially our tour guide Neil.

Beaverbrook has always been of special interest to me for its architecture, but also for its history, as in many ways it is similar to my hometown of Bramalea (the subject of my other blog: bramaleablog). Both were planned as complete suburban communities that included places to live, work and play, although each was executed differently and at different scales.  

After the walking tour, I went home and poured over my binder on Beaverbrook. In it I have floor plans (for most of the houses and apartments), site plans, maps, original price sheets and brochures. I also have have a folder with numerous historic articles on Beaverbrook, Kanata and Teron. 

In the coming weeks I will begin sharing all of the historic material I have on Beaverbrook. I am still working out how I will present the material, and I am toying with the idea of creating a separate blog. My collection is not complete, but I would like my posts to be a collaborative approach with input from community members past and present.  

So, please stay tuned for "The Beaverbrook Project"!
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August 10, 2017, 6:44 pm
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And now for some shameless self promotion: Back in December I started publishing chapters on Wattpad from my epic historic-fiction novel (with some mid-century modern content): The Dream That Was. I have finally published the entire book online, and I have now begun to release chapters from one of my other novels: Teardrop. It is a fast-paced mystery/thriller, so if this is a genre that interests you, please check it out:   

Teardrop

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Beaverbrook - Part 1: Community Number 1

August 19, 2017, 10:04 am
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 This is the first in a series of posts that I will publish on the Beaverbrook neighbourhood in Kanata. Below are the pages from an early brochure on the development, including some great historic photos and floor plans.

Of note in this collection is the B4 with its atrium family room in the middle. The OH (one and a half) storey plans are also unique. Popular in the immediate postwar period, one and a half storey houses became less popular with time, and thus were not built in later phases of Beaverbrook. 

Remarkable for the time is that every single plan has an ensuite off of the master bedroom, something that was not common during this period.

Notice the variety in garages, some are attached, in one and two-car garage versions, while some are detached and located in front or to the side of the houses.





























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Unique Mid-Century Modern House in Aylmer Sector

August 22, 2017, 1:19 pm
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Hello fellow readers. A colleague of mine has just listed a mid-century modern house for sale in the Aylmer sector of Gatineau - so I wanted to share the link!

Please check it out here:
Cedar Haven
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Beaverbrook - Part 2: Brochures, Site Plans and Price Sheets

August 27, 2017, 10:48 am
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Part two of the Beaverbook series!

Below are a number of brochures, site plans and price sheets that I have for Beaverbrook.

I am not sure of the exact date of this brochure below, but  the mall was already built at the time. The image on the 3rd page lower left corner appears to be the townhouses at 1-120 Beaverbrook Lane. Maybe one of my readers can help me with the date of this brochure - so please let me know!



I am not sure of the date of this map. A number of the streets seem to be proposals of what was planned, especially on the west side, in the area that became Kanata Lakes.










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Mostly Danish Furniture is having an Inventory Blowout sale!

August 30, 2017, 8:22 am
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On Sunday, September 10, Mostly Danish will be hosting a massive sale at its furniture warehouse on 2437 Kaladar Ave in Ottawa’s South End, as well as at its boutique storefront at 1000 Wellington West in the Hintonburg arts district. All inventory will be priced at 30%-40% off.
At the Kaladar warehouse and showroom, you’ll find a big tent outside showcasing some of the finest furniture pieces available at Mostly Danish: from sofas, loveseats and loungers, to sideboards, credenzas and dining sets. Walk into the showroom to browse more seating options as well as accent pieces. Beyond that is the vast Mostly Danish warehouse, where you’ll find a treasure trove of mid-century modern furniture.
Be sure to enter the big prize giveaway! Simply drop a business card in the box or fill out a ballot with your contact info. You can win one of three $500 gift cards. No purchase is necessary, and winners will be announced at 4PM Sunday the 10th, notified by email, and announced on social media.
Mostly Danish, the preeminent Danish furniture store in North America, offers a wide selection of Danish & oriental pieces, each one with its own unique story. Owner and founder Zvi Gross handpicks designs primarily from Scandinavia, from sources recognized around the world for their simplicity and elegance. Selections are mid-century modern, an architectural and design form that encompasses mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture and urban development.
Zvi Gross founded Mostly Danish to provide a unique furniture experience for its clientele. Zvi brings his love for woodworking and design to furniture, where he sources the pieces and oversees the process of refurbishing, reupholstering and refinishing. The result is furniture that is unmatched for its artistic design, investment value, comfort and quality. Many of the designs at Mostly Danish are highly affordable, and all offer tremendous value.
You can make even more out of this value by taking advantage of the Inventory Blowout sale on September 10, when prices will be slashed by 30%-40%. Furniture at both locations will be on sale, including:
·      Sofas and loveseats
·      Dining tables and dining chairs
·      Sideboards
·      Credenzas
·      Armchairs and loungers
·      Coffee tables and other tables
·      Other chairs and seating
·      Accessories, lighting and more
Many of these items were created by the greatest Danish designers of their time, from Hans J. Wegner and Arne Jacobsen to Finn Juhl and Niels Moller. The pieces are in pristine condition, and have been cared for with a level of workmanship and attention to detail that brings out their finest qualities. It’s the Mostly Danish way.
The Inventory Blowout on Sunday, September 10th is going to be the event of the summer if you are a furniture lover. If you’re in the market for furniture, be it just one piece or furnishing an entire room or home, you won’t want to miss this one. Just browsing? You’re always welcome at Mostly Danish. And on September 10th, you can peruse massive values in furniture savings, and win a $500 gift card to boot!
For more information about Mostly Danish and the Inventory Blowout sale, visit their website at mostlydanish.com
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Country Place

September 18, 2016, 3:56 pm
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A while ago a reader asked about a plan in the Country Place neighbourhood. I do not know too much about the neighbourhood, but I do have some collections of plans for houses built in the area by the builders Simpson and Sherbrooke. I believe that the Simpson homes were built first, followed by later phases by Sherbrooke. The lot sizes are large, so most of the designs are centre-hall plans. 

If any of my readers know more about the area please do share in the comments section below.

Here are all of the plans that I have for the area, but it appears that others were built as well. Some of the Simpson plans were also built in the Playfair Park area of the city.












 


 





















 


 


















 




 




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Beaverbrook - Part 3: The Townhouses and Apartments

September 17, 2017, 4:29 pm
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In this third installment are the townhouses and apartments in Beaverbrook. There are a number of townhouse clusters in the area and they are all noteworthy for the way that they are laid out in a picturesque way on the landscape, often surrounded by ample green space. The exteriors of the townhouses are in keeping with the visual language of the detached houses in the area creating a cohesive look to the community.

These are the Kanata Co-op Homes on Leacock Lane:

The Reaney Court Townhouses:

The townhouses on Carmichael Court have an interesting interplay between solids and voids on the facades.






The Salter Square complex is unique in that it has a variety of house types including townhouses, back-to-back townhouses and courtyard houses. 













Below are the plans for the townhouses on Jackson Court, built by Campeau. These units have a very unique layout with a rear courtyard. They also only attached via the two-car garage to the side.
If one of my readers has the original builder's plans/brochure, I would like to share them!

The plans below are for the row houses on the south side of Penfield Drive (on the southern arm). It is interesting how this development uses the historically-correct use of the term "terrace home". In more recent years the term has been used to describe stacked townhouses in Ottawa, but its origins are actually for describing row houses.
The Bethune condominium:










Unfortunately, my only copy of these pages below are very dark, but the floor plans do show up. This is one of the tallest buildings in Beaverbrook, but its location in a low point, and the materials used makes it blend in seamlessly.









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Vintage Minto

September 21, 2017, 12:57 pm
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Happy Throwback Thursday!

Please click on the link below to check out the first 3 articles (of 10 total) on Vintage Minto written by yours truly:

Vintage Minto




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Beaverbrook - Part 4: The two stories

September 29, 2017, 9:52 am
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In part 4 of my Beaverbook series, I present the plans for the 2 story detached and semi-detached houses in the area. I may be missing a few plans, so if any of my readers have them, please do let me know so I can share! 





















































Some of the semi-detached plans. I know that there are others...but alas, this is all I have!


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Assaly Trend Homes

October 20, 2017, 9:26 am
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During the 1960s and 1970s the builder Assaly (sometimes teamed with the builder Joahnnsen) built a series of houses under the banner of "Trend Homes". These houses were built in areas including Trend Village, Woodroffe on the Green, Westcliffe Estates and Glenwood Park (in Aylmer, Quebec).

Assaly's designs at the time are notable for the sheer variety that they offered in terms of exterior styles, ranging from Mid-Century Modern to more traditionally inspired designs. In some cases a house design could be rotated on the lot to create an entirely different looking house. In Trend Village, the plans even included some Spanish-style variations. 







By rotating the house and moving the garage location, design B-20 and B-30 look like completely different houses.






E-30 is unique in that the living room and kitchen/dining room are flipped in comparison to the E-10 and E-20. 











In an older blog post I had asked if anyone knew what happened to the Trend Village arch (as shown above). Thanks to a reader, I now know that the arch was designed and built by Bruce Colburn. His daughter is unsure of when and why it was taken down, so I would love to share if any of my readers know!

Some of these designs below are updates of earlier Trend Home plans.


One of Assaly's rare Spanish-style Trend Homes is above, with a unique courtyard.



































The Trend Home designs also include semi-detached plans.






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