Talk the subject over with a 40-something mother of two, and you’ll get a much different response than you would from a single, career minded, mid-twenties business executive with a penchant for being about town. In fact, the demand of condo buyers today (particularly those wanting to live near the city centre) leans toward less square footage rather than more. Average high rise floor plans these days run about 650 square feet – down from the 750+ square foot floor plans that were selling like hotcakes just a few years ago. It boils down to lifestyle and affordability: price per square foot for multi-family developments has skyrocketed in recent years. Entry-level buyers (who make up the majority of downtown high rise owners) typically can’t foot the bill for a roomier suite, and when it comes right down to it, they don’t really need a lot of space anyway. Why pay for what you won’t use?

Still, nobody wants to feel like they’re living in a five by eight box. The trick, then, is making smallish spaces feel bigger than they actually are – something that the team at Poon McKenzie Architects is rather adept at.
“Combining rooms in the main living area is the standard,” says Bruce McKenzie, Principal. “We used to typically create a division between the kitchen, dining room and living room in condo floor plans, but now we’re always employing an open concepts with no walls, which immediately creates a more spacious feel. It’s possible to knock out five or six feet and create the illusion of the same amount space with the open floor plan.”

Where the walls can’t come down, another effective option is making them only half or three-quarter height. Shorter walls create the illusion of a higher ceiling and allow natural light to filter through the entire condo – a space enhancing benefit with positive effects that cannot be overly emphasized. “Natural light makes all the difference, and with the extensive use of glass in high rise developments you get lots of it. A half wall around the bedroom, for example, makes that space feel much larger because it’s open and filled with light. You lose privacy though, so this is really only an option for one bedroom units.”

Ironically, the elimination of rooms can have a similar, enlarging effect in a small space. Eating areas are all but gone, often being replaced by a simple counter with bar stools. The omission of a specific area for a table and chairs frees up floor space for other things – larger living rooms, for example, which tend to get more use from the high rise demographic. Hallways too, often hit the cutting room floor in the quest to create the illusion of more square feet. Viewed as “lost space” in the worlds of architecture and development, corridors are willingly sacrificed in favour of California-style layouts where the bedrooms are situated directly off opposite sides of the main living area.

Making the most of space even extends to the bathroom. “Combined washrooms are another way to make a condo feel larger,” says McKenzie. “Many smaller plans feature two bathrooms – a powder room and main bathroom – but if you combine those two spaces you have the opportunity to create something much more opulent. It looks grand and open, and makes the whole place seem bigger. It can only really be done with a one-bedroom or one-plus-den layout when the bathroom doesn’t need to be shared, which is okay because those floor plans are more common than ever the downtown and midtown area.”

Other tricks of the space-enhancing trade extend to ceiling height and doors. “Nine foot ceilings are standard these days, but ten-foot ceilings are really nice and open the space up considerably more. If you incorporate full height doors in a condo with ten-foot ceilings it changes the feel of the unit dramatically.

Cabinetry design affects the feeling as space as well. “You never see any overhead cabinetry anymore,” says McKenzie, referring to an 80s-inspired row of cupboards usually seen suspended from the ceiling over a counter. “They block the line of sight. People don’t mind losing cupboard space if they’re gaining visual space.”

The ultimate space enhancing material is, of course, glass – used extensively now both exteriorly and interiorly in condo design. “Outside walls in high rise developments are almost always floor to ceiling glass now,” says McKenzie. “It’s used for its modern appeal, but also because it creates perceived space in the way of views. On the upper floors you can see for miles and miles. The eye is drawn outward and the outdoors becomes part of the living experience. We try to use glass as much as possible inside as well because it keeps things clean and open looking. Frameless glass around the shower or tub combined with full height tile does a lot for space in a bathroom. These things drive cost up though, so it’s a balance between what buyers can afford and what will make the condo feel roomy and attractive enough to live in.”  CL