ONE12

In a city where the need for modern rental housing is only increasing, the ONE12 Tower stands as a quiet innovation, one shaped as much by its challenges as by its ambitions.

Set in Edmonton’s historic and walkable Garneau neighbourhood, the site offered immediate advantages: close proximity to major employers, easy transit access, and the vibrant texture of a mixed-use community. But it also came with an unusual constraint. Just across the street, the University of Alberta Hospital required a clear flight path for helicopters, limiting how high we could build. That ruled out the typical podium-and-tower format so common in new multi-family housing.

Instead of seeing this limitation as a setback, we saw an opportunity. A close look at the zoning revealed we could increase density in a different way. What emerged was a pair of 13-storey towers, gently set back from the street and connected by a shared elevator core. This H-shaped plan delivered two powerful benefits: more units for the client without needing a variance and more daylight for every resident. With windows on multiple sides, these units feel spacious, bright, and anything but cookie-cutter. ONE12 has no dark, narrow apartments. Each home feels like a place to exhale.

Freed from the limitations of a typical floorplate, we were also able to give more attention to shared spaces. At the level of the surrounding treetops, we introduced quiet indoor and outdoor rooms—flexible places where residents can work, relax, or gather. At the top of the building, a sky lounge and fitness area offer sweeping views across the city. On the ground floor, high-quality commercial spaces add vibrancy to the street and strengthen the fabric of the neighbourhood.

Built as Edmonton was emerging from the pandemic, ONE12 was part of the developer’s bold response to a tight rental market and an aging housing stock. By responding creatively to a unique constraint, we helped our client deliver much-needed homes—and did so faster than expected. The result is a timeless, efficient, and highly livable building that feels rooted in its place and responsive to its moment.