Earlier in April, we posted a few renderings of Claridge Icon, a new Ottawa condo by Claridge Homes, which is being designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects. Well, just a week or so after we posted the renderings, some new ones surfaced, and that is what we are sharing with you today!

The design of Claridge Icon

The plans for Claridge Icon call for a 45-storey tower with nine underground parking levels, retail at street level, two floors of commercial, and 252 residential units, ranging from one-bedrooms to three-bedrooms. 45 storeys doesn’t seem extravagantly tall (because we mostly report on new towers in Toronto), but at that height, Claridge Icon will be the tallest in Ottawa.

We are huge fans of Hariri Pontarini Architects, and we have to say, these latest renderings have us pretty excited for Ottawa. If Ottawa is going to start getting taller towers, we think it’s great that the standard of design is being set so high.

Obviously, what stands out the most to us is the balcony design. Being situated near Dows Lake, the rolling balconies will mirror the waves of the water. Our favourite tower designs are ones that play off the urban atmosphere, as well as the natural environment within the surroundings.

David Pontarini on building with glass

David Pontarini is the Principal in Charge on the Claridge Icon project, and we recently had the opportunity to hear him speak at the Pug Talk about the future of glass tower designs.

At the Pug Talk, Pontarini promoted the use of glass from a variety of standpoints. Unit size and curtain walls were the main ones. It seems, the taller towers get, the smaller the units become, and if you’re going to have only one wall with a window, it might as well be floor-to-ceiling.

A curtain wall system, for those who don’t know, is when the exterior skin of a building is nonstructural. We don’t know for certain, but it looks like Claridge Icon will employ a curtain wall system on at least one facade. Pontarini strongly advocates for the use of curtain wall because it allows for more freedom from an architect’s point of view. At the moment, curtain wall systems are slightly more expensive, so you mostly see them on high-end, luxury residences.

We’re really looking forward to watching this project come to life, so stay tuned, we’ll be keeping a close eye on it!