Cornerstone Housing For Women

Cornerstone is a non-profit housing agency for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The project involved constructing a new 42-unit building at 314 Booth Street. The completed building consists of 20 units for low-income seniors and 22 for younger women, and the ground floor has a mix of common spaces (kitchen, dining room, prayer room, computer lab, etc.) and staff offices.

Three residential floors feature modest studio units that are safe, healthy, and attractive, with each unit designed in an open-concept fashion with a sleeping alcove and a modest living room, dining area, and kitchen. Each floor also features a shared common space, a small kitchenette, and laundry facilities. All units on the ground and first two floors are fully accessible (barrier-free), with all floors in the building serviced by an elevator. In addition, the building exceeds the energy performance targets in the Ontario Building Code, and includes many green features. Some of the sustainable design measures include selecting construction materials that featured recycled content, using regional sourcing for resources and manufacturing at every building stage, increased energy efficiency through the use of high-performance building systems and materials, and strategically placed shade trees to reduce the burden on the building's heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. The building was also designed to provide natural light throughout for its residents.