St. Charles


St. Charles Church, a landmark building listed by the city of Ottawa, is offered for sale and faces potential destruction to make way for new development. Its steeple is visible from blocks away along the winding avenue on which it fronts. The broad and shallow property is bound by four roads, sloping gently to the northeast.

Proposed are five new buildings, complementary to the character of both the existing church and site, yet distinct in their function as contemporary homes for urban dwellers. The master plan seeks to re-integrate the church into the community with the energy of newer generations, in its memory honoring the area’s heritage, a symbol of the francophone presence in Vanier.



Design Intent


Creating a living environment within a constrained site by manipulating the topography along the north-south and east-west axes.







© 2024 gandhi habash / architecture