Welcome Maricris!

We are very happy to announce that Maricris Ussher joined the Gravity team as a Project Architect in 2023.

Maricris received her Bachelor of Design from the University of Alberta in 2005. In 2007, she was hired at Rockliff Pierzchajlo Architects (now Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects), and she worked there for over four years where she gained experience in building design and the construction process. The people and the work experience inspired her to pursue further education in architecture. 

In 2013, Maricris graduated from the Master of Architecture program at the University of Calgary. As part of the program, she studied in Barcelona for a semester and took courses in the Netherlands and California. She enjoyed studying in Spain and travelling to neighbouring countries where she experienced the local architecture and design in person.

Maricris worked at various firms both large and small and gained valuable design and construction experience in commercial, institutional, continuing care, office, industrial, residential, mixed-use, and community projects. Clients and colleagues have appreciated her care and attention to detail with every project.

With over 16 years of experience, Maricris joined Gravity Architecture in early this year as a Project Architect. She is currently overseeing projects in all phases of the architectural process.

Centre Street Commercial

This 14,393 SF, single-storey retail building was completed in the summer of 2023. It is located in the Highland Park neighbourhood of Calgary, filling the block end from 42nd Avenue to 43rd Avenue along Centre Street N.

The building represents a modest increase in the intensity of land use, replacing five mid-twentieth century bungalows with nine commercial retail units. The building is slope adaptive, with four different slab levels to meet the street as it slopes down to the south.

The massing is constrained by the parking lot on the west side, the road widening setback on the east side, and the corner view triangles at the northeast and southeast corners of the site. Rather than allowing for the view triangles by cutting the conventional 45 degree chamfers out of the plan, we accommodated these setbacks by subtly angling part of the east wall and all of the north wall. We then took these gentle angles and applied them to the parapet walls. This slight adjustment transformed what could have been a plain box into a dynamic form that appears to have the potential to spring.

Most of the entries and protected by a broad eave, but the two units the project the most towards the street share a glass and steel canopy.

All the parking is hidden in the back accessed from the rear lane allowing the street frontage to be a landscaped and uninterrupted pedestrian area. Regularly spaced street trees will shade the broad sidewalk encouraging outdoor uses in the summer.

With long term plans for the Green Line transit route running up Centre Street, this project is the beginning of the transformation of this arterial street into an urban commercial corridor serving both local and regional needs. This project is located just three blocks north of the future 40th Avenue N Green Line station.

Bryce Baker at Clasual photographed this project for us.

We're Seeking a Contract Administrator

Gravity is currently hiring for a variety of roles across our Vancouver and Calgary offices, including a Senior Contract Administrator.

In this role, the selected candidate will play a crucial role in ensuring the successful execution of our architectural projects by overseeing contract administration and construction administration processes. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in contract management and construction administration within the architectural field.

To learn more about additional roles we are currently hiring for, please visit our careers page. 

Congratulations Maureen!

Congratulations to Maureen Carrigy on becoming registered as an Intern Architect with the Alberta Association of Architects!

Maureen joined Gravity Architecture in early 2023 with nearly a decade of experience in the architectural world as an Architectural Technologist. She graduated with honours from SAIT’s Architectural Technology program in 2014. Then Maureen enrolled at the University of Calgary to broaden her perspective and expand on her design skills. She completed a Bachelors of Arts in 2017, majoring in ancient history, followed by the completion of her Masters in Architecture in 2022.

We’re thrilled to have her on the team!

Crescent Heights Commercial Completion

Construction has been completed on this two-storey commercial building we designed for 1105 Edmonton Trail NE in Calgary’s Crescent Heights neighbourhood. As more of Edmonton Trail matures into a commercial main street, the owners of this residential property saw the opportunity to capitalize on this change. This modest commercial building now provides nearly 5,900 SF of office space on two floors. It is wood frame, and clad clad in durable yet stylish Hardie panelling and pre-finished corrugated steel siding. The upper floor massing is broken into two principal elements, and either projects or recedes from the main floor. The projection on the north facade protects the walkway that runs parallel to the adjacent lane.

We’re excited to continue our contribution to the ongoing redevelopment of Edmonton Trail by helping bring this modest commercial building to the the community of Crescent Heights.

Thanks go to Bryce Baker at Clasual for the photography of the completed project!

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Meredith at Edmonton Trail Construction Update

This summer has seen the project we designed on Meredith at Edmonton Trail start to take it’s final form.

The original building on this site was addressed to Meredith Road, however the main entrance for the new building faces east, so the new address is 63 Edmonton Trail NE.

As a mixed use building, the structure is a combination of reinforced concrete and wood frame. The uppermost concrete floor is the second floor, creating a fire rated assembly between the retail and residential uses. The third floor and roof are wood frame. With the framing complete earlier in the year, and most of the upper floor windows in place, the cladding is currently being installed. In these construction images taken by Bryce Baker, the playful wave of variegated metal panels is taking shape.

Learn more about this project.

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Mission Flats June 2023 Construction Update

Advent’s five-storey Mission Flats multi-residential in Calgary’s Mission neighbourhood has been fully framed and the installation of membranes and cladding are underway!⁠

This five-storey residential development was designed by Gravity for NAI Advent. The contractor, Trimount, has completed the framing and roofing, has installed the windows, and is currently working on the interior and exterior finishes.

The building contains 67 residential units, including 11 garden suites, above a two-storey underground parkade. Parking is accessed from the lane to ensure an uninterrupted pedestrian environment along the stately, tree-lined street the building faces. This apartment-style condominium building was designed to fit in with the neighbouring modernist brick apartment blocks by borrowing both their brick materiality and symmetrical aesthetic. In a more traditional gesture, the roof playfully floats over the top floor.

We asked Bryce Baker to take these new images of construction progress. Learn more about this project.

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Ascension Block Townhomes

We are excited to share a new townhome development in central Edmonton that Gravity designed for Cantiro. Ascension Block by Cantiro is an eleven-unit townhome development located in the central Edmonton neighbourhood of Westmount. This project is a two-building development on an irregularly shaped parcel. “Ascension” was chosen as the name because the site of the development was once a meeting spot for people as they came up from the adjacent ravine. These townhomes are also “moving people up” from the suburban lifestyle to a more central and urban location.

The odd shape of the property provided a challenge when considering the density increase, parking, vehicle access and overall unit efficiency. However, by having the North Building follow the West property line and the South Building step along its West property edge, we were able to best utilize the irregular parcel. This configuration allowed for the density increase Cantrio was looking for, in addition to creating units that meet and exceed market expectations for this built form.

The exteriors of the development are clad with a mix of brick, stucco, metal siding and corrugated metal panels. Incorporating the use of perforated metal panels adds a layer of pattern to the facade, but also provides screening and privacy. The geometric pattern of the perforations provides the illusion of 3D cubes and this complements the linear characteristics of the base material choices. The use of the panels is echoed throughout the design and further utilized as privacy screens between units.

The eleven homes are all three storeys in height and range in size from 2,098 sqft to 2,484 sqft. Each home features three bedrooms and a den and has a private, attached double-car garage. Ascension Block provides both at-grade and upper patio spaces on the front facade to promote a more integrated connection to the residential context to the west.

Construction started on Ascension Block just a few weeks ago. Find out more here.

South Building of Ascension Block

Sage Walk Towns DP Approval

We are excited to announce that the development permit for the Logel Sage Hill townhouse development in the northwest community of Sage Hill has been approved! This project was design by Gravity for Logel Homes and features 52, three-storey townhomes across ten buildings. The exteriors are clad with a combination of James Hardie panels and TrueGrain Series siding. We designed the homes to each be identifiable through the massing of the building.

pLAnt Studio designed the landscaping including the private and common outdoor amenity space. The common space is defined by a central pergola. The majority of the units have private fenced-in patios, and all of the units have their own balconies. Because these balconies are inset into the buildings, residents have private outdoor spaces.

The grading of this parcel provided the opportunity to create two distinct entry styles. One entry is lowered and is below the level of the garage entry. The other is more like a split level, where the entry is elevated at a landing between the garage and main living levels. The floor plans have been designed with three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and a flex space that could be used as an additional bedroom. Homeowners will have the option to upgrade the bedroom level to a two-bedroom, two-suited bathroom layout.

A public pathway was coordinated to connect the City's sidewalks in the community to the north with the adjacent environmental reserve pathway that runs along the west property line.

Find out more about this development here.

The Nines

‘The Nines’ project is a mixed-use development Gravity designed for OPUS at the intersection of Elbow Drive and Southland Drive in Calgary’s Southwood community (just south of Haysboro). This six-storey project features 16,000 sqft of retail space facing the streets and 85 apartments above. We designed the retail space to be subdividable into three bays. The structure of the commercial ground level is concrete while the residential levels above are wood-framed. The primary cladding of this development is textured glass-fibre reinforced concrete panels set against the warmth of wood-toned metal siding. 

This proposed development is situated on a largely vacant lot beside the Southwood branch of the Calgary Public Library. Homes on the second to sixth-floor range in size from 470 to 1300 sqft and are available in one, two and three bedroom configurations. Every unit has a private balcony which are expressed as an egg-crate grid on the building facade. For the three-bedroom units, a larger balcony is separated into two zones with part accessible from the main bedroom and part from the living room. Parking for this development is provided by a single-level of underground parking, some surface parking, and secure bike storage on the main floor for residents. There are rooftop amenity spaces for both commercial and residential tenants.

One of the project challenges was burying an underground parkade within the limited depth available given the topographical slope from one corner of the site to the other. The goal was to achieve barrier free access from both streets and a welcoming streetscape for the main entry and the retail spaces along the public streets.

This project was submitted for development permit application in May of 2023. 

To learn more about this development, please visit OPUS’ website.

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Gravity's Hiring!

Gravity is currently hiring for a variety of roles across our Vancouver and Calgary offices, including a Construction Contract Administration Assistant position. The ideal candidate will be responsible for supporting our project managers and construction teams in the administration of construction contracts. This is a full-time position.

As a Construction Contract Administration Assistant, the successful candidate will be working closely supporting our Contract Administrators, Permits Coordinator and Principals. They would be involved in office administration and assist in the preparation of supplementary instructions, additional services agreements, certificates for payment, payment certification, letters of compliance, and other construction contract-related documents. They would prepare for construction startup meetings, take meeting minutes, and track and maintain project-related documents and records. They would also communicate effectively with both internal teams and external stakeholders. The candidate would become proficient with Gravity’s collaboration and filing systems so as to effectively organize all project documents, information and correspondence. Further, the candidate would assist with the development and building permit coordination.

To learn more about additional roles we are currently hiring for, please visit our careers page.

Gravity Welcomes New Architectural Technologist Nadia

We are excited to share that Nadia Music has joined Gravity. Nadia joined the Gravity team as an Architectural Technologist right after completing their diploma in Architecture Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 2022.

Having a fascination for building design and construction from a young age, Nadia spent countless hours sketching and creating their own dream homes. This passion led them to pursue a career in the field, where their dedication and enthusiasm has served them well. What sets them apart is their unique and creative flair, as well as their passion for art. Their education, experience, and innate talent bring a fresh perspective to their work, which is evident in everything they do. Their passion for the field is evident, and they are already proving to be a valuable addition to the Gravity team.

Welcome Nadia!

Shaganappi Multi DP Submitted!

Shaganappi Multi is a 99-home project with high visibility from Bow Trail SW, close proximity to Shaganappi Point LRT Station, and views to the Shaganappi Point Golf Course. The building form is configured as a ‘C’ to fill the site and maximize the number of units along the perimeter of a double-loaded corridor. Its industrial cladding materials respond to the high vehicular traffic flowing past this site while warmer wood tones respond to human-scaled balconies.

Unit identity, facade articulation, and balcony privacy are achieved through a pixelated three-dimensional composition integral to the architectural massing. This hyperarticulation responds to privacy adjacencies; smaller balconies with less glazing are located higher and positioned to reduce overlook into neighbours’ yards.

This articulation also facilitates porosity around building edges to enhance visibility on a corner site. Oversized balconies span the width of entire unit faces to convey porosity and reduce the perception of the building’s six-storey visual mass and roofline. Outdoor amenity spaces and landscaping are situated to provide enjoyment for the residents while also acting as a buffer to adjacent residences.

This development has been submitted for its development permit, and construction is expected to start later in the year.

You can find out more on our project page or on Calgary’s DMAP page.

Gravity's Hiring!

We’re hiring! With many current and upcoming projects, we are looking for an Intermediate or Senior Architectural Technologist located in both Calgary and Kelowna. Fluency in Autodesk Revit is a critical requirement for these roles. This position offers the candidate the opportunity to grow their careers with Gravity and further develop their skill set in their discipline.

Intermediate or Senior Architectural Technologist

Calgary - On-Site Position

Posted: March 29, 2023

Gravity has been transitioning from a small boutique residential design firm into a full-service, multi-office architecture firm. With larger and more complex projects, we are in need of a team player to who will extend our great reputation for high-quality work while maintaining our positive working environment. We are currently searching for an Intermediate or Senior Architectural Technologist that has residential and commercial project drafting and detailing experience for our Calgary office. This is a full-time position.

As an Intermediate or Senior Architectural Technologist, the successful candidate will be working on construction documents for a wide array of commercial, residential and mixed-use architecture projects. The technologist will be working on a variety of projects, interacting with clients, vendors and Gravity’s technical team working in Revit. He or she will be set into an excellent position of growing within this expanding firm.

The successful candidate will have a diploma in architectural technology and is familiar with both the building Codes in Alberta and BC. This person will have a minimum of 5 years of experience as a technologist. The technologist will also need to have meaningful experience with Revit and understand how to leverage BIM for accuracy and efficiency. Gravity is a firm that is always interested in individuals that have experience working on a variety of projects, but having a passion for residential design and detailing is crucial. These are the minimal requirements for this position, with all other experience being advantages for the successful candidate.

An excellent opportunity awaits the successful candidate, including a competitive salary, health and dental benefits, and opportunities for growth within the company. If you believe that this could be a perfect fit for you, please send your resume immediately, or if you know the perfect person for this position then feel free to forward this information. All applications will be kept in the strictest of confidence.

Senior Architectural Technologist

Kamloops/Kelowna Region - On-Site
Though this is a remote position, candidates must be physically located near (or between) Kamloops or Kelowna in British Columbia for consideration.

Posted: February 1, 2023

Gravity has been transitioning from a small boutique residential design firm into a full-service, multi-office architecture firm. With larger and more complex projects, we are in need of a team player who will extend our great reputation for high quality work while maintaining our positive working environment. We are currently searching for a Senior Architectural Technologist who has extensive drafting and detailing experience for this position in central BC.

As a Senior Architectural Technologist, the successful candidate will be working on construction documents for a wide array of commercial, residential and mixed-use architecture projects. The technologist will be working on projects in both BC and Alberta, interacting with clients, vendors and Gravity’s technical team working in Revit. Part of this role also includes support with contract/constuction administration. This includes supporting Gravity’s Calgary-based Contract Administrator by helping deliver construction phase services, including conducting field reviews, preparing field reports, and responding to requests for additional information. Liaising between clients’ construction staff, planners, AHJs, consultants, and other Gravity staff and Principals will also be also required.

As the number of Gravity’s projects increase in the area, so does the potential for growing a career within our expanding firm.

The successful candidate will have a diploma in architectural technology, and is very familiar with both the British Columbia Building Code and the Kelowna Zoning Bylaws. This person will have a minimum of 10 years of experience as a technologist. The candidate will also have meaningful experience with Revit and understand how to leverage BIM for accuracy and efficiency. Gravity is a firm that is always interested in individuals that have experience working on a variety of projects, but having a passion for wood-frame design and detailing is crucial. These are the minimal requirements for this position, with all other experience being advantages for the successful candidate.

An excellent opportunity awaits the successful candidate, including a competitive base salary, and opportunities for growth within the company. If you believe that this could be a perfect fit for you, please send your resume immediately, or if you know the perfect person for this position then feel free to forward this correspondence. All applications will be kept in the strictest of confidence.

Mission Flats Construction Update

Mission Flats is a five-storey residential development Gravity designed for NAI Advent. Trimount, the contractor, is more than halfway through framing, and we are looking forward to the building taking its final form soon.

The building contains 67 residential units, including 11 garden suites, above a two-storey underground parkade. Parking is accessed from the lane to ensure an uninterrupted pedestrian environment along the stately, tree-lined street the building faces. This apartment-style condominium building was designed to fit in with the neighbouring modernist brick apartment blocks by borrowing both their brick materiality and symmetrical aesthetic. In a more traditional gesture, the roof playfully floats over the top floor.

We recently commissioned local architectural photographer Bryce Baker to take some aerial images of this development during construction. The images turned out very well, and we are very excited to share them here!

Learn more about this project.

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Queen Mary Multi-Storey

Queen Mary Apartments is a proposed four-storey multi-family building featuring 43 homes which Gravity has designed for Lubec Construction Limited. Situated in Queen Mary Park, this centrally located development is near downtown Edmonton and the North Saskatchewan river valley. 

Proposing a modest relaxation of the front setback allowed us to situate the development in closer proximity to the street, making the building more engaging to passersby and residents alike. This also allowed the units to widen from studios to true one and two-bedroom homes. Prioritizing this feature when designing the building was necessary, as a smaller front setback ensured housing density was not sacrificed in the development. 

This development required a different approach to unit design due to the east/west orientation of the parcel. By turning the double-loaded corridor to run perpendicular to the street, we were able to increase the number of units with south-facing balconies and great natural lighting.

This development has one and two-bedroom homes each ranging from 470 to 800 square feet in size. The building is finished with Ceraclad, wood-toned metal panels, and flat metal panels. 

This project features surface parking for tenants (some of it covered), with additional bicycle parking and bicycle storage. This amenity along with the central location may encourage residents and visitors to be less reliant on their vehicles as a primary mode of transportation. 

This parcel has been submitted for DP review and is anticipated to start construction in 2023. Learn more about this project.

Livingston Rowhouses

We are excited to announce a new rowhouse development in collaboration with Daytona Homes. Livingston Rowhouses is a two-building project in the community of Livingston in north Calgary. This Daytona Homes development features ten, three-storey townhomes, each with a secondary suite on the ground level.

Daytona gave special consideration to the changing real estate market and asked our team to design these homes as two-bedroom rowhouses with a lower single-bedroom unit accessible from a separate entrance. This allows the homeowners to rent out the secondary suite as a mortgage helper. Both the primary two-bedroom home and the single-bedroom home have amenity spaces at the rear of the homes, with a patio at grade and a deck on the first level of the primary dwellings. Parking is provided off of the rear lane, with the end units having garages and the middle units have parking pads. The primary units range in size from 1530–1675 square feet, with 520–589 square feet in the secondary suites. 

These rowhouses are wood-framed and clad with a mix of vertical and horizontal vinyl siding. Recessed brick walls signal the entrances. Our designers were inspired by Prairie Style architecture, though the overall massing is modern.

We are currently awaiting development permit approval, and construction is expected to commence in 2023. Learn more about this project.

Wedderburn Rowgalows DP Submitted

Wedderburn in Okotoks is a 5-building, 22-home rowhouse project that Gravity designed for Partners Development Group.

Wedderburn Rowgalows Site Plan for Building A

Typically, when you think of row houses, you think of two-storey homes. Starting in D’arcy Ranch in Okotoks, Gravity developed a plan for a bungalow rowhouse configuration, as a smaller alternative to the traditional rowhouse, which we call a ‘rowgalow’!

Wedderburn combines traditional two-storey rowhouses with these one-storey rowgalows to create mixed rowhouse buildings.

While these plans were adapted from the ones we started in Okotoks, these lots are between 2 and 3 meters shallower, making the siting that much more challenging. One of the specific design challenges we had to overcome was a curved setback in front of Building A, which (after various attempts at sliding and crushing the standard plans) we solved with a unique unit layout.

These rowhouses have three bedrooms total, with a spacious floor plan. Homeowners also have the option to develop the basement to additional living space, and another bedroom below grade. The homes range in size from 950 to 970 square feet and are clad with lap siding, board and batten, and brick. Detached garages can be found at the back of the properties, all with the capacity for two vehicles. Visitor parking is available on the street. 

The development permit was submitted in September 2022, and construction is expected to start later this year.