Another Project Milestone for Luxuria Developments!

The development permit is now approved for the University Townhomes (Block 11)!

The University Towns are located just north of Calgary's University District’s main commercial street. They feature 28 three-storey homes across four buildings. Each offers approximately 2,000 square feet of developed living space and include private double garages.

Our client approached Gravity with a vision for the entire block, which includes both these townhomes and Luxuria's University multi-residential on the south side of the same site. This vision aligns with the University District’s design guidelines and goals for a mixed-use urban community that offers diverse housing options and fosters connectivity between spaces for residents to enjoy.

Click the button below to learn more!

Excel Homes' Monocle Townhomes: The Most Streamlined Project to Date

Excel Homes' Monocle Townhomes has set a new benchmark for Gravity Architecture, becoming the fastest project in our portfolio to move from Feasibility Study to Development Permit submission, and the project now has DP approval!

A defining element of Monocle Townhomes has been its accelerated timeline, a request of our client. Moving a project of this scale through its milestones at this quickened pace required strategic planning and collaboration with the consultant team, Gravity, and the client from project start to ensure the project stayed on track. With feasibility study completed in early October 2024, and DP submission in March 2025, this project has been a welcomed achievement for Gravity, set a new milestone for Gravity, becoming the most streamlined in our portfolio to advance to this phase in just under six months,

Designing the site required careful problem-solving to address significant grading and landscape challenges. In particular, sloping the garage spaces was necessary to achieve the client’s oversized garage design. Despite these constraints, the final site plan provides a cohesive layout with welcoming courtyards and a generous amenity space in the southeast corner, encouraging walkability and community connection.

Click below to read more about Excel Homes's Monocle townhouse project!

Partners' Wedderburn Project Complete!

We are excited to share Partners’ Wedderburn Rowgalows are now complete! These 22 rowgalows are complemented by spectacular landscaping in the growing town of Okotoks, Alberta.

Typically, when you think of row houses, you think of two-storey homes. Partners Homes and our team developed a plan for a bungalow row house configuration, as a smaller alternative to the traditional row house, which we call a ‘rowgalow’!

While these plans were adapted from the Arrive D'Arcy project constructed in Okotoks for Partners, these lots are between 2 and 3 meters shallower, making the siting that much more challenging. One of the specific design challenges we had to overcome was a curved setback in front of Building A, which (after various attempts at sliding and crushing the standard plans) we solved with a unique unit layout.

Click below to learn more about the project!

DP Submitted for Luxuria's University District Multi!

Introducing Luxuria Development's University District Multi-Residential!

The development permit for this exciting project has officially been submitted.

Located in Calgary’s growing University District, this mixed-use community embraces a contemporary approach to urban living, anchored by a main street with residential, retail, office, and community spaces. Luxuria’s multi-residential project supports the district’s vision by bringing housing options that create a vibrant, active community.

This five-storey, wood-frame development delivers 156 homes across two buildings on a parcel directly south of Luxuria’s University Towns. Although part of the same urban block, the parcel was subdivided to accommodate both multi and townhouse projects—presenting unique opportunities and design challenges for each.

The site’s gentle but significant slope, combined with strict bylaw height limits, required a carefully calibrated design approach. Although the two buildings appear visually cohesive, their differing configurations are driven by the parkade stair core locations and egress requirements, which impacted where they intersected the main level above on each building resulting in distinct layouts.

Click below to learn more about the design considerations behind this project, and stay tuned for updates on Luxuria Development’s University Towns project!

The Development Permit for Partners Homes' Greenwich Rowhouse is Approved!

This 11-building development features three- and four-unit layouts, each with an oversized two-car garage and approximately 2,500 square feet of living space across three levels. Homes offer two or three bedrooms, a third-floor primary suite, flexible kitchen layouts, and the option for a ground-level office or fourth bedroom.

Partners Homes asked for spacious slab-on-grade designs with a modern brownstone exterior. To deliver on this vision, we incorporated three alternating brick-clad palettes to create variety while maintaining a cohesive streetscape.

The site is organized around a central municipal reserve, where rear-lane garage access allows for uninterrupted green space and pedestrian-friendly frontage.

Key challenges included meeting a strict 3.0m maximum front setback around the MR while maintaining 6.0m driveways, as well as coordinating multiple rights-of-way and easements for servicing. Our team worked closely with consultants to resolve these issues—even while the DP was under review—ensuring the building layouts and servicing worked hand in hand.

The result is a project that balances client priorities with site requirements, offering generous interiors, striking exteriors, and a community-oriented design.

Be sure to click below to read more about these fee-simple rowhouses for Calgary's Upper Greenwich community!

Shaganappi Gets Clad!

Cladding is going up on Shaganappi! Wrapping up the exterior is a significant milestone for NAI Advent's inner SW Calgary project. They are aiming to bring these these 99-units to market later this year!

The three cladding colours start to reveal how the street-facing façade is organized with a tiered series of masses. The rectangular ‘pixels’ puncture the massing to carve outdoor amenity spaces within the façade while simultaneously facilitating porosity for natural lighting and views.

Soon, the curtain walls will be installed at the grand two-story entry. This dramatic entry was designed to create a sense of arrival for residents and visitors, providing a visual connection to the common amenity spaces beyond. Advent envisioned this building as a unique place to live, and this entry is one of the many architectural features we designed to achieve that feeling.

Make sure to click the link in our bio to learn more about Advent's Shaganappi project!

Exciting news for Genesis Builders – The DP is approved Cobalt Bay Towns!

This modest low-rise multi-residential development consists of 13 buildings and six building types with a total of 91 units. This project offers a mix of stacked and standard townhomes for the Bayview community in Airdrie, Alberta.

The architectural design showcases a modern take on a traditional architectural style. The buildings feature pitched roofs and large windows, drawing inspiration from craftsman architecture while integrating contemporary elements.

Click below to learn more about Cobalt Bay Towns!

The DP is now approved for Apaar Homes' Highwood Towns!

The Highwood Towns are part of Apaar Homes’ mixed-use development that will include stacked townhomes, commercial spaces and a daycare facility. It is located in the Montrose neighbourhood on the south side of High River, Alberta.

This development will consist of 15 stacked townhouse buildings, totalling 146 units, with one-level units on the bottom and two-level units on top. The design of the public and private outdoor amenity spaces was a key consideration for this project. For outdoors amenities, we have provided two large central spaces, and then many smaller spaces thoughtfully located throughout the site.

To learn more about Apaar Homes' community development click below!

Introducing Mohamed—Gravity's newest architect to join our Vancouver office!

Mohamed Ahmed

Mohamed Ahmed brings Gravity over a decade of industry experience and a portfolio that includes a range of residential, commercial, educational, and mixed-use projects across British Columbia and Ontario. He is a registered Architect with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) and is a Certified Professional (CP), with additional certifications in environmental design, energy efficiency, and advanced building codes through RAIC, AIBC, and the University of Toronto. His roles have spanned construction documentation to administration, with a strong emphasis on Code knowledge and building performance.

Gravity is thrilled to have him and his expertise join our Vancouver office and the Gravity team!

Homes by Creation Mixed Use's DP is Submitted!

We are excited to share that we have submitted the Development Permit for a mixed use building for Homes by Creation! Located in Airdrie, Alberta, this project will bring 56 residential units and 10 retail spaces just off of Edmonton Trail in Airdrie, Alberta.

The site is the former location of the RCMP in Airdrie, and is both adjacent to a highway onramp and established low density residential development. Taking this context into account was an essential aspect of the design process. Siting the four-storey building towards the NE corner of the property was vital to reducing proximity and overlook concerns with adjacent townhomes to the west, and the single detached dwellings slightly downhill to the south. Combined with landscape screening measures, this strategy mitigated many of the community's concerns. This project's proximity to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway also resulted in additional time and consideration given the required traffic impact assessment, sound study, and provincial reviews.

The resulting project respects the nature of a residential neighbourhood while mitigating the proximity to major Alberta thoroughfare.

Click below to read more about this project!

Introducing Renaissance Canmore!

Introducing Renaissance Canmore, located in the picturesque mountain community of Canmore, Alberta.

This is is a master-planned housing development comprising eight buildings that sit on Stewart Creek Rise just off the scenic Three Sisters Parkway.

Our team has been tasked to take the Hortus building to completion. It is a four-storey multi-residential building that includes ten units. The building is prominently positioned as the first point of arrival on the site. It has three one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units, ranging from approximately 800 to 1,500 square feet. It also has a small affordable studio apartment. All of these houses are supported by a single level of underground parking. Above the parkade, a continuous landscaping weaves together the buildings and surrounding outdoor spaces.

Renaissance Canmore has direct access to the Three Sisters Parkway—a multi-use corridor popular for hiking, biking, and walking, and known for its scenic views of the Three Sisters mountain peaks. The site is also almost immediately adjacent to The Gateway, a new mixed use area that includes shops and a grocery store.

Click below to learn more!

(Gateway link: https://thegatewayatthreesisters.ca/)

Revitalizing 16th Avenue: Harmony One Mixed Use

Once dominated by traffic and congestion, Calgary’s 16th Avenue North—part of the TransCanada Highway—has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades. Historically a four-lane route clogged with commuter and intercity vehicles, the City of Calgary took a bold step in 2005 to reimagine the corridor through the 16 Avenue North Urban Corridor Area Redevelopment Plan.

The plan called for widening the road to six lanes while introducing increased urban density and mixed-use development. It envisioned a corridor lined with six-storey buildings, with even taller structures anchoring major intersections—creating a more walkable, livable, and transit-friendly environment.

Harmony One is a key piece of this evolving streetscape. Located mid-block, this mixed-use development combines ground-floor retail, second-floor office space, and four levels of residential units above. The building also features a rooftop photovoltaic solar array and a private outdoor amenity space for residents.

As the area continues to grow and evolve, developments like Harmony One demonstrate how design and policy can work together to turn high-traffic corridors into complete, livable communities.

Paleco is the developer and Gravity is the design architect for this project.

Gravity Mourns the Passing of Trent Letwiniuk

Trent Letwiniuk
May 21 1977–August 4, 2025

Trent Letwiniuk, one of the owners and directors of Gravity Architecture, died in a motorcycle accident on Monday, August 4th. We are devastated by this tragedy and have been thinking of Trent’s family as they grieve the loss of a loved one who was a husband, son, brother, and uncle.

Trent was a founding partner at Inertia Residential Design in 2006 and of Gravity Architecture in 2014. With his partner and a growing team of professionals, he built the firm to a 26-person strong firm with offices in Calgary and Vancouver. He was a talented designer and draftsperson, but moreover excelled at building client relationships and representing the firm. He deeply cared about our clients’ needs and wants, and championed these throughout the planning, design, and construction processes of their projects. Trent set an example for the team of diligence and accuracy, efficiency, and excellence. He was also constantly thinking about how to make Gravity better at what we do.

We are grateful for the sympathy and thoughtfulness that our colleagues and clients have expressed to us as we have sadly delivered this terrible news over the last week. We are blessed to be a part of such a supportive community. The team at Gravity had the opportunity to gather this week and process Trent’s loss. It was confusing and sad, cathartic and kind, and a tremendous reminder of the support that we have in each other.

Gravity has no choice but to adjust to our new reality. Without Trent representing Gravity as well as he did, we will have to step up and try our best to do this without him. We have the benefit of Trent growing the business development team over the last five years and sharing with them his approach, values, and systems. Stephen Barnecut is now the sole owner and, with the benefit of 26 years working alongside Trent, will continue to pilot our clients’ projects towards success. Only a few years ago, this event may have been devastating for the company. However, under Trent’s co-leadership, the firm has become strong enough to weather a loss of even this magnitude.

We offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Vivian Rocha; his parents, Ray and Lorraine Letwiniuk; his brother, Ryan Letwiniuk, and sister-in-law, Kim Letwiniuk, and his nephews, Eric and Colin Letwiniuk.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 16th, at Eden Brook Funeral Home & Cemetery in Calgary.

Ronmor Developers has received DP Submission for Glacier Ridge Townhomes!

We are excited to share the Development Permit submission for Ronmor's townhome project in Calgary's northwest community of Glacier Ridge.

This stacked townhouse project provides 126 units across 12 buildings on the site in the form of three unique building types. We've achieved just under the maximum density of 80 UHP by stacking units, with a single-storey unit at Level 1 and a two-storey unit above on Levels 2 and 3. The single-storey unit on the ground floor can be accessed from the rear entry of each building and features a spacious one-bedroom, one-bath design with a large patio space. The two-storey unit is accessed from the front of each building and provides a three-bedroom, 2.5-bath configuration, complete with a large balcony on the second level.

Click below to learn more about this project!

Icon at Mission Coming to Life!

The transformation of Mission Road (now called Icon at Mission) has been over a decade in the making—and we’re excited to see it take shape.

Back in the summer of 2011, the City of Calgary launched a forward-thinking planning initiative to explore new, more collaborative approaches to city-building. The goal was to bring together citizens, landowners, and City staff with an international consulting team to develop a vision for healthier growth along Mission Road. Central to this process was a multi-day design charrette led by renowned new urbanist Andrés Duany of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ), a firm previously involved in shaping MacKenzie Towne.

The resulting concept imagined a more pedestrian-friendly, human-scaled future for the corridor. Narrower streets, mixed-use buildings, and leafy green spaces painted a picture of vibrant urban living. These ideas were formally adopted into Calgary’s Parkhill Stanley Park Area Redevelopment Plan, where a Special Policy Area now outlines design controls and streetscape improvements to help guide development in line with the community-led vision.

In 2018, we were asked to prepare a feasibility study for a long, sloped site along Mission Road. Despite the steep topography, our team proved a mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial units, upper-level residences, and a private interior courtyard was a possible and an idea that could improve and enhance the surrounding community.

Carlisle Group later acquired the property, embraced the feasibility study, and engaged our team to design a contemporary, form-driven building. The result is a dynamic composition of three interlocking masses that float above a transparent entry level and glazed commercial frontage. The central courtyard opens toward a densely treed parcel next door, creating a quiet, green retreat for residents.

From a collaborative workshop over a decade ago to the construction site we see today, this project exemplifies how long-term planning and design excellence can create meaningful places in our city.

We’re proud to be part of bringing this vision to life. Stay tuned as construction continues on Icon at Mission!

Travel Notes - New York City

Last summer, while visiting New York City with my family, we stumbled upon a remarkable space by sheer accident. We had just ascended to the top of the World Trade Center, marvelling at the breathtaking views, and were making our way out when we found ourselves in the Oculus—a massive transit hub and shopping centre that’s part of the reconstructed 9/11 memorial site.

Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the Oculus was intended to evoke a child’s hands releasing a dove, symbolizing peace and renewal. Its name comes from the “eye” in its main atrium, which opens to the sky above, allowing light to pour into the space. The design feels almost otherworldly, a sharp contrast to the heavy, somber atmosphere of the Ground Zero memorial just steps away.

Emerging from the gravity of the memorial, the Oculus felt like a breath of fresh air—an architectural embodiment of hope. Its soaring white ribs and open, airy design seemed to lift the spirit, reminding me of the transformative power of architecture. It was one of my favourite places we visited, not only for its beauty but for what it represents: the ability of design to create meaningful experiences and evoke profound emotions.

As someone working in design at Gravity, the Oculus left me deeply inspired. The experience of walking through this space prompted my realization that architecture is more than just structures we inhabit, but a story evoked through space. It reinforced my belief that human experience should always be the main consideration behind every design, as storytelling is what gives meaningful spaces their lasting purpose and soul.

Julianne Brewer
Architectural Technologist

Seton West Phase 2 Welcomes Its First Residents!

This development is a three-building multi-residential project we designed for Logel Homes on the west side of Seton in Southwest Calgary. It includes two four-storey and one five-storey building with a total of 238 units. The project is located on a uniquely shaped lot that is bounded on the north by a storm water pond and on the east by a potential Green Line LRT platform and station. Site access was challenging being directly adjacent to a traffic circle, however this was solved by limiting vehicle access to the southeast and west sides of the parcel.

Because this project was phased, residents have already moved into the first building while the other two are currently under construction.

Be sure to click to learn about this exciting project

DP Submitted for D'Arcy Towns in Okotoks, AB!

The Development Permit for Apaar's D'Arcy Townhomes in Okotoks, Alberta is submitted!

This project introduces a series of practical and well-connected three-storey stacked townhouses across 12 buildings and will provide 116 homes.

There is a central green space that anchors the site and features playground equipment and shaded seating beneath a broad tree canopy. Architectural articulation, integrated sidewalks, and carefully arranged plantings work together to define a cohesive network of key zones throughout the development.

The site is bounded by existing utility rights-of-way along the north, south, and west property lines. Our team worked closely with the civil engineering team to ensure these rights-of-way were respected throughout the site design process. Beyond this constraint, the site is relatively flat and rectangular, which allowed for a straightforward yet practical design approach that supported efficient execution.

Welcome, Reynaldo!

Reynaldo

At Gravity, we believe that the strength of our work lies in the passion and experience of our team. We are thrilled to introduce Reynaldo Nambayan whom we believe exemplifies both! With over 20 years in the architecture industry, Reynaldo brings his creative vision and technical expertise which makes him a strong asset to our production team.

Reynaldo’s journey into architecture began in the Philippines, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from one of the country’s leading institutions. Inspired at a young age by sketching sessions with his father, Reynaldo developed an early fascination with form and structure and the potential of design. 

Over the past two decades, Reynaldo has worked on a wide range of project types, including residential, commercial, industrial, medical, institutional, and religious buildings. His experience ranges from large-scale developments from a variety of countries, such as China and Singapore where he contributed to the Singapore Zoological Garden—as well to commercial and institutional projects across Alberta and British Columbia. Notable Canadian projects include the RMWB Jubilee Centre Renovation in Fort McMurray, Royal Vista Landing in Calgary, and modular and childcare developments in Lake Country, Kelowna, and Calgary.

When asked about his dream project, Reynaldo did not mention anything flashy. Instead, he shared about designing something that modest that blends into everyday life like a community hub that fits in well with its surroundings, built with local materials and strategies that reflect the climate and culture of the area. He believes the success of a project is measured not by scale or recognition, but by the quality of experience it brings to people who use it.

Outside of the office, Reynaldo enjoys sketching and has recently taken up watercolour painting. He also has an interest in car restoration and detailing—a hands-on hobby that speaks to his appreciation for precision and craftsmanship!

We’re excited to have Reynaldo on the team and look forward to seeing the positive impact of his approach on Gravity’s projects.

DP Approved for Livingston Multi!

We are excited to share the Development Permit Approval for Livingston Multi by Logel Homes!

This multi-residential will comprise five buildings and include 361 for-purchase homes. Each building ranges from 68 and 75 units and will provide residents with one and two-bedroom configurations with spacious balconies and a large central courtyard for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Our team was presented with some unique design challenges such as the significant east-west slope that defines the site. To address this, a site-wide strategy was used to ensure each building kept a close relationship to the surrounding grade. 

Click below to learn more about our design process and details on this Logel Homes multi-family development!