Tronson Road Townhomes - Vernon, BC
Story
Guided by Frontside Development, the client team acquired a hillside site in Vernon, BC, above the northern end of Okanagan Lake. Their intent was to create a townhome development scaled to the surrounding neighbourhood and tailored to downsizers. With its semi-rural setting, mature trees, and adjacent park, the site called for a ground-oriented, unobtrusive design with a familiar residential character.
Vision
The floor plans were centred on a “primary on the main floor” brief to suit the target demographic. Each unit required a one- or two-car garage with storage, guest space for visiting family or friends, and provide main-level daily living which includes the primary suite, living room, kitchen, laundry, and garage on the main floor. The site features a berm along the street which hosts several large poplar trees. Maintaining these, along with the berm were intended to be integral to the site entry sequence and character of the development.
Response
The key challenge was balancing indoor and outdoor space, unit count, and project viability without compromising a strong sense of place. Because most of the floor plan needed to remain ground-oriented, circulation efficiency, scale, and massing became central design drivers. The goal was to give each unit the comfort and identity of a single-family home.
The division and placement of unit counts was crucial to understand in order to cut through the portion of the berm between two of the large poplars and preserve the integrity of this feature.
A central interior lane divides the site east and west, shaping two distinct experiences. The eastern units, facing the main road, create a stronger street presence and a sense of “that’s my place.” The quieter western units are more interior oriented, creating a calmer sense of “this is my place.”
Circulation was minimized to keep floor areas efficient and generous. Each unit uses transitions of compression and expansion to shape the experience of space: the eastern units compress through the kitchen before opening to a double-height dining and living area, while the western units open more gradually toward the rear well-planted hillside.