Designs For Living: Putting End-Users First

By Ian Pianosi

Good design is often what elevates a condominium from cookie-cutter to extraordinary. It starts with the exterior, and appeals to many viewpoints from residents, to pedestrian passers-by, to those who have a view of an entire tower on a city skyline, to the neighbours all around it.

Inside, good design can mean quite different things depending on your perspective: to an investor, a good location, reputable builder, and attractive architecture may be your top three and the inner-workings of an individual suite of little importance, but to a prospective resident an individual suite must offer pleasing form coupled with hard-working but seamless function.

End-users are looking for open layouts, ample storage, outdoor spaces and big bedrooms. By focussing on end-users — those residents who own their suites — the designers of Perspective were always challenging themselves to offer more and make things better. After all, if you’re willing to invest not just your money, but your family’s future in a condominium, you have every right to high expectations.

In designing for the end-user, we ask ourselves a series of questions that focus on your quality of life: How do you want to live? What functions does each room need to perform? Where will the traffic patterns fall? What will you see when you enter the suite? How do you want to feel when you do? What are your priorities? As we turn our attention to the answers to those and other questions like them, we prioritize three main considerations: space, finishes, and layout.

Perspective offers suites on average 10% larger than most condominium units being built today, starting with the smallest suite offered, a one-bedroom with den. Our suites go up to three bedrooms, which is pretty unusual these days, but we think families should be able to enjoy all the convenience and amenities of condo living too. Big balconies and big kitchens are among our priorities, because we know that’s where you and your guests want to be.

When it comes to finishes, end-users are the designers’ dream. Gorgeous floors, sleek kitchens, lavishly appointed ensuites — nothing goes unappreciated, because these buyers live there each day and take pride in the way everything comes together visually, as well as the way it performs its function perfectly. We marry functionality and space, with oversized laundry tubs, deep soaker tubs and other thoughtful touches that just make your life better.

You can’t overestimate the appeal of a great layout. Ironically, when a floorplan performs beautifully, it’s barely noticeable. You just move about the space as if it grew around you organically. That’s what we aimed for at Perspective, with lots of closets to help you keep things tidy, big bedrooms that make you really want to spend time there, and entrances that are separate from the living areas. Open layouts for the living and dining rooms and kitchens offer seamless design and inviting gathering spots throughout.

Designing for the end-user is one of the most rewarding aspects of the development business, because these buyers are investing not only their money, but their faith in our shared vision of the future. Attention to detail, fixtures and finishes, over-sized suites with oversized-balconies, and floorplans that function are the hallmarks of Perspective.

We’d love to talk more about how great design impacts your experience as an end-user. Please give us a call at 416-242-3500, visit us online at perspectivecondos.com or come by in person, where the sales centre is open Monday to Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. and open weekends from noon to 5 p.m. at 2893 Bloor St. W. at Prince Edward.

Ian Pianosi is the owner of Pianosi Development Corporation, which has a tradition of excellence in the Ontario building industry that goes back more than five decades.