Two adjacent commercial buildings, one modern with wood and black paneling, the other older with a sign reading "Queenston Retirement Home," stand along a main street under a blue sky.

Queenston Gardens

Hamilton, Ontario

17 bedrooms with an area of 5,037 sq. ft. The scope of this project was to design a new retirement home building and renovate the existing one to have similar architectural design and features. The intent of the owner was to link the two buildings in order to create a larger retirement home. The design is modern in nature respecting the scale of the development.

Project details 

  • Client: Private Owner
  • GFA: 5,037 sq. ft.
  • Budget: $1,500,000
  • Architect: Lima Architects Inc.

Project overview

Modern two-story building with large windows, stone and wood accents, surrounded by landscaping; several people walking on the sidewalk in front.

Objective

Expand an existing retirement home by adding a new building and bringing the existing one up to match, then link the two into a single, larger facility.

A modern two-story building with large windows and stone accents, surrounded by landscaping. Three people walk on the sidewalk in front.

Design Approach

A new 17-bedroom building in a modern idiom that respects the scale of its surroundings; the existing building was renovated to share the same architectural language and the two were connected to operate as one home.

A modern two-story building with large windows, surrounded by landscaped gardens and benches, is shown on a sunny day with people walking nearby.

Outcome

Completed in 2017, expanding capacity under a single, consistent modern identity.

A modern two-story building labeled "Queenston Retirement Home" with large windows, stone and wood exterior, and two people walking outside.

Notable Features

A two-building "link" strategy that unifies new and renovated structures into one cohesive home.

Modern two-story building labeled "Queenston Retirement Home" with stone and wood panels, large windows, and two people walking on the sidewalk in front.