“Just the balconies are between 200 and 650 square feet per unit,” she says. “We really gave people that outside room side that we all wanted to have when we were stuck at home. The design was really well received by the public, and the sales show that. After just 10 months, we’re 95 per cent sold out.” Marilou further credits that commercial success of both Phase 1 and 2 to the appeal of the neighborhood. In particular, she says that buyers particularly responded to the sustainable design elements – for instance, over 20 per cent of the people who bought parking in Phase 1 also bought electrical charging stations. Marilou also re-credits the affordable price points, as well as the spaciousness of the units. “There aren’t a lot of projects in Montreal that I know of that mostly offer units over 1,000 square feet,” she says. “And we have a lot of two-storey units, so they feel more like little homes than traditional condominiums. I think that was really appreciated by buyers.” The quality of the buildings has also been a point of difference, Marilou says. She credits that quality to the skill and dedication of David and his team of builders. “We work with professionals, and we bring them in early,” David explains. “The general contractor is involved as soon as we have the architect. They participate in each step of the process, from conception to delivery. They make sure that what we’re designing is buildable and in line with our budget.” On Cité Angus, they workedwith Sidcan, a well-known builder of high-quality structures, and a longstanding partner of SDA’s. They’re not exclusive to them, but they have worked together on multiple projects. “We know those guys very well,” David says. “We know how they work. We know they’re very educated and knowledgeable. We trust their advice.” “We also know they’re very transparent with us,” he adds. “There are no games being played. It’s very simple with them, and that’s a great quality to have in a building partner. That’s why we work with them and that’s what we’re looking for in a contractor.” David and Marilou also extend credit to the architects they collaborated with closely on both phases. On Cité Angus I, they worked with Rayside Labossière, and on II they worked with Aedifica. Marilou says they chose those partners because of their willingness to collaborate. “When we look for architects, we look for professionals who will be part of the team,” Marilou says. “We don’t just see ourselves as clients. We see ourselves as partners. It’s important to us to work with professionals who will add to our vision.” “We want to have an idea, and we want the architect or designer to say, ‘I love that, I’m going to push to push it further, and I’m going to work with you to bring it to the next level.’ That’s our first criteria.” In the case of Cité Angus, their idea was to have big units, and to mostly have three bedrooms, because that’s what they found was missing in the neighborhood. They needed their architect to be on board with that vision. “Our second criterion is we need to design cost-effectively,” Marilou continues. “We want to make sure we’re not just dreaming of what could be designed. We have to design with reality in mind.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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