Specifications

Building Features

Design: The delight is in the detail
Domicile is creating another urban landmark, the four-storey Second Avenue West—though designed for today, the building draws just as much of its character from the classic courtyards of urban villas and the finishing detail typical of the Glebe’s historic homes.

The exterior is clay brick, accented with pre-cast stone and complemented by maintenance-free black aluminum window frames, doors and railings. Vertical “rhythms” of balconies and ground-floor terraces under generous eaves add vigour to the exterior.

Practical site, pleasing landscape
The building wraps around a circular entrance courtyard (off Bronson Avenue) that provides access to both the front entrance and the underground parking garage. Our landscape architect has created a care-free setting where a canopy of trees along Bronson Avenue fronts layers of planters and gardens brimming with hardy native perennials.

The front gardens and the entrance courtyard are complimented by black ornamental fencing. And in the green expanses of the sculptured back yard, the only thing that rivals the view is the peace and quiet.

Safety and security, of course

  • The main entrance features a vestibule where you control visitor access with a telephone-permission entry system; a security camera also lets you view the vestibule on your television.
  • A set of strategically placed security cameras monitor and record activity at other focal points.
  • Exterior lighting adds even more security.
  • Remote-control transmitters open and close the underground garage and, for manual access, you can use the entry key pad.
  • Every section of the building, including each suite, is protected by fire sprinklers.

Parking plus...

  • You access the split-level underground garage from the entrance courtyard; there's parking for you and your visitors.
  • The garage is a bright, heated concrete structure. Aside from parking spaces, the garage contains bike and locker storage, refuse and recycling facilities, and some of the building's mechanical and electrical equipment.
  • Parking spaces, driving aisles and walkways are asphalted, while the bike storage, locker areas and electrical/mechanical rooms have concrete floors.
  • Only you, the suite owner, can grant access to the designated visitor parking.

What's on each floor

  • The main entrance is recessed from Bronson at the back of the grand courtyard entrance and begins with a vestibule, which opens onto a lobby, a waiting area, two elevators and the mail-service alcove.
  • The elevators serve all floors and the parking garage.
  • A fitness room on the ground floor houses modern training equipment and a flat-screen television.
  • The ground floor is also the location for a special multi-purpose guest/entertainment suite, unique to Ottawa condominium buildings. Here your visiting relatives or friends can enjoy an overnight stay or, you can use the suite for a variety of private social functions.
  • One- and two-bedroom condo suites complete the ground floor.
  • The second, third and penthouse floors are for the remaining suites.

Structural design, insulation and sound-proofing: Technical marvels within

  • The foundation walls, columns and ground-floor slab that make up the parking garage are made of reinforced concrete.
  • Engineered wood framing is used for all levels above the parking garage and the ground-floor slab.
  • We design all floors and walls in coordination with our acoustical engineering consultants to provide superior sound-proofing. Our consultants inspect and test the construction to make sure noise reduction throughout the building meets these very high standards.
  • Separating your suite from your neighbors’ are party walls composed of two separate 2” x 4” wood stud walls with a one-inch air space in between. Both walls are filled with batt insulation and are covered by two layers of 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board on each side complete with perimeter-wall acoustic sealant; also, one side has resilient channels. [The Ontario Building Code requires that party walls provide a minimum 50-STC (Sound Transmission Coefficient) rating and a one-hour fire separation rating; our party wall design tops that, giving STC performance ratings of about 60 and a two-hour fire separation rating.]
  • Corridor walls are composed of 2” x 6” wood studs, batt insulation between studs, two layers of 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board on the corridor side, and resilient channels with one layer of 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board on the suite side, along with perimeter wall and ceiling acoustic sealant. [The Ontario Building Code requires that corridor walls provide a minimum 50 STC rating and a one-hour fire-separation rating. Our corridor wall has a 60 STC rating.]
  • Your suite’s floor and ceiling consist of pre-finished hardwood on 5/8” OSB wood underlay that covers a resilient impact-isolation barrier and ceramic tile on 3/4” screwed plywood; both floor finishes are over a 5/8” OSB tongue-and-groove, glued-and-screwed sub-floor, over pre- engineered wood floor joists with batt insulation completed with resilient channels accompanying two layers of 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board.
  • The partition walls inside your suite are made of 2” x 4” or 2” x 6” wood studs, with one layer of 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board on each side.
  • The exterior walls of the building combine clay brick, a one inch air space, an air barrier, wall sheathing, 2” x 6” wood studs, R20 batt insulation, a vapor barrier and 5/8” fire-rated gypsum board.
  • The main structure of the roof consists of a two-ply modified bituminous membrane with sloped insulation at values that exceed R-28. Around the perimeter is a decorative sloped asphalt roof with large eaves.

Note
The exterior renderings and scale model of the building and of the site landscaping and fencing are artistic impressions designed to convey the general look and feel of this project. They are not intended to represent in exact fashion the final as built design details completed by our architect and design team.

Your suite features

Windows and exterior doors
Your suite has maintenance-free, high-efficiency black aluminum windows and doors, with double-glazed sealed panes, low-E hardcoat, as well as screens on all window operators and exterior patio doors.

Suite doors

  • Suite entry doors are solid-core, flat-panel, 84” high (94” for penthouse suites), finished with high- sheen latex paint, and fitted with a brushed-steel lever handle, dead-bolt lock and security viewer.
  • Interior room doors are hollow-core, flat panel, 84” high (94” for penthouse suites), finished with high-sheen latex paint, and fitted with a brushed-steel lever handle.

Flooring
Your suite boasts pre-finished birch hardwood floors in all living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, den, hall and entry areas, in your choice of one stain colour from our selection. The hardwood rests on a 5/8” wood sheathing underlay, complete with a resilient impact-isolation barrier that reduces sound transmission between floor levels.

For your bathrooms, mechanical room and laundry closet, you choose ceramic tile from our standard selections.

Kitchens

  • Each suite features a streamlined, urban-style kitchen with a glass tile backsplash along with a multi-function island with a wine rack. Granite countertops are standard, island included. You choose the cabinetry and granite from our standard selections.
  • The kitchen has an under-mount single stainless-steel sink and a single-lever faucet with a pull-out spray.

Appliances

  • Your kitchen comes equipped with a modern stainless-steel fridge, slide-in gas range, chimney-style designer range hood, an integrated cabinet dishwasher and a microwave-all installed and ready to go.

Bathrooms

  • Each bathroom features a vanity cabinet with granite countertop of your choice from our standard selections.
  • Each vanity and granite countertop comes with an under-mount white china basin and a chrome faucet, along with a mirror, a recessed or surface-mounted medicine cabinet to match the vanity, paper holder, towel bar and ceramic bathtub soap dish.
  • All bathtubs are white acrylic soaker tubs finished with a ceramic skirt and ceramic surround up to the ceiling.
  • The “Barclay” north and south suites include one square acrylic shower stall with ceramic above to the ceiling.
  • The “Fulton” north and south suites include one spa- inspired combined walk-in ceramic tiled shower and soaker tub behind a clear glass partition with chrome trim.
  • The “Chatham” north and south suites include one site-built ceramic-tiled shower and a clear glass door with chrome trim.
  • All bathroom floors, shower and bathtub walls are finished in ceramic tiles of your choice from our standard selections.
  • The water closet is white china.
  • Bathtubs and showers have chrome controls, faucets and shower heads with pressure-balancing valves.

Paint options
You can choose one colour for all walls, one for baseboards and door frames, and one for the doors from our extensive palette. (Note that some deep-pigment colours may require an extra charge). Trim and doors are painted with a high-sheen latex, the walls with a low-sheen. All ceilings are a latex white flat finish.

Balconies and terraces
Generous balconies are provided for each suite on the second, third and Penthouse floors, and are enclosed by black maintenance-free aluminum railings. Railings facing Bronson Avenue have a circular accent detail with a tempered glass panel.

Your balcony floor has maintenance free composite deck material. Ground-floor terraces have pre-cast concrete pavers. Privacy screens separate adjoining balconies or terraces.

Ceilings and trim

  • Ceilings for the ground-, second- and third-floor suites are approximately nine feet high, and about ten feet high for the Penthouse suites (not taking account of floor finish thickness). Our suite floor plans show the approximate location of the dropped bulkheads (usually 12 inches) needed for venting and lighting. All of our ceilings are smooth finished (not stippled) and painted.
  • Baseboards are 6 3/8” high, and the wood door trims are 2 3/8” wide.
  • On certain suite floor plans, where bedroom walls are shown as “Open to beyond,” the dividing wall rises only to approximately eye level and the remainder is open to the ceiling above.

Closets, storage and laundry

  • Each suite has five full-height open shelves for linen storage.
  • You are also assigned one storage locker in the parking garage.
  • Your suite comes with a stacked white washer and dryer, installed and ready to go.

Lighting and electrical features

  • Your suite has its own hydro meter, 100-amp service and a circuit-breaker panel.
  • It also has its own combined smoke and carbon-monoxide detector, which sounds only in the suite.
  • You also get heat detectors and alarm horns that form part of the central alarm and sprinkler system.
  • Black Decora switches and plugs come with stainless-steel cover plates.
  • All foyer and hallway light fixtures are located according to our electrical plan. One six-foot-long black track light, complete with five heads for the living/dining area, is installed over the multi-function kitchen island.
  • The living room and each bedroom have one switch dedicated to a wall outlet (no overhead light fixtures included).
  • Each shower enclosure and all standard soaker tubs have a ceiling light.
  • Each balcony and terrace has a weatherproof electrical outlet and an exterior light.

Heating, air conditioning and ventilation: Comfort and efficiency, your way

  • A forced air system heats and cools your suite on demand by way of an individual heat pump located in the mechanical room of your suite and controlled by your thermostat.
  • Central gas hydronic boilers provide heat to each heat pump for heating operation. The heating costs are shared by condo owners as part of their common expense fees.
  • Your suite receives air conditioning from a compressor in the heat pump that runs on electricity connected to your own hydro meter.
  • Maintenance and replacement costs for the heat pumps are covered by the common expense fees for each suite and by the reserve fund.
  • Make-up return air for each suite comes from a make-up air unit on the roof. This air pressurizes the lobby, corridors and common areas on each floor, where it enters each suite under the doors.
  • Domestic hot water is supplied to your suite from a high-efficiency, central gas-fired hot-water boiler. Hot and cold water are included in your common expense fee.
  • Bathroom fans, and both the kitchen exhaust and dryer exhausts discharge directly outdoors through individual horizontal ducts concealed in dropped ceiling bulkheads.

Telephone and cable
Each two-bedroom suite receives four telephone and three cable outlets. Each one-bedroom suite receives three telephone and two cable outlets. You choose the locations for the outlets.

Security system
Ground floor suites include a fully functional security alarm system complete with key pad, door and window contacts and a central motion detector (ready for you to connect to a compatible monitoring program of your choice). Suites on the second, third and penthouse levels include a rough-in for a security alarm system of your choice, if you decide to install one after closing.

Range feature and gas options
A gas line for the gas range is included with your suite. You also have the option, as an upgrade, to add a gas line to the balcony or terrace for a barbeque. Gas fireplaces are available as upgrades, too, but only in certain suites and locations (see our suite floor plans). Upgrade costs are available upon request.

Common expenses and suite expenses

Knowing what your monthly condominium common expense fee covers and what other expenses you face is important.

Here’s a summary of how Second Avenue West operates:

The monthly condominium common expense fee for your suite covers the following:

  • Hot and cold water
  • Heating your suite. (We estimate heating costs at current gas rates for an average suite to be approximately $360.00 a year).
  • Heating and cooling for the building common areas.
  • Gas and electricity costs for the building.
  • Professional management and consulting fees for the building.
  • Insurance for both your suite and the base building.
  • Maintenance and repair of the building and its shared features, including landscaping and snow removal.
  • A reserve-fund contribution that, together with those from other owners, builds a fund for major repairs and replacement items associated with the building.

Apart from your monthly common expense fee, you also pay for:

  • Electricity in your suite (billed to you directly based on your meter).
  • Gas for your suite’s gas range, fireplace or barbeque (billed to you directly based on your meter).
  • Insurance on your contents, including typical condominium owner’s coverage.
  • Property taxes, and
  • Your cable and internet costs.

Note
*We take pride in our buildings and undertake to complete Second Avenue West in accordance with these features and specifications. Still, when on-site complications or unforeseen situations require us to alter our design, we reserve the right to change the plans, features and specifications and to substitute materials, but only as long as the changes are minor and the substitutions are of equal or better quality.

*Upgrades are available under certain terms and conditions exclusively through our Design Centre.