Project.

Reina

Location: Toronto, Canada
Client: Urban Capital Property Group
Expertise: Interior Design
Completion: 2024
Size: 185139 Sq ft

Reina is a groundbreaking mid-rise condominium in Toronto’s west end, designed and developed entirely by women, that reimagines residential living through community collaboration, inclusive design and a bold challenge to industry norms.

Reina Condos Toronto The Big Conversation

BDP Quadrangle, Urban Capital and Spotlight Developments joined forces to undertake an experiment. They assembled a team of female experts from architecture, engineering, legal, marketing and sales to create a project designed and developed solely by women.

The idea was for women to lead the entire development process; principally to draw awareness to the gender imbalance that exists in global real estate, but also to promote a diverse range of female role models to help encourage more women into the industry.

Set, as fate would have it, on the site of a demolished gentleman’s club, the new development is proudly named Reina, the Spanish word for queen. The mid-rise condominium, located on The Queensway in Toronto’s west end, offers an especially robust set of amenities that is 25% larger than required by the City of Toronto, the design has a feminine flair and is a family-friendly addition to the area. The project challenges norms at every turn, not only in how it looks but in how it was conceived, who it serves, and how it feels to live there.

Reina’s design process departed from the top-down conventions of residential development. Instead, it embraced a deeply participatory model from the outset. Early on, the team hosted a community design workshop attended by over 140 people - a rare scale of consultation for a private-sector condo project. Participants identified pain points in typical condo living and collaborated on ideas for how design could address them.

The insights gathered - from stroller storage to flexible suite layouts, soundproofing and access to greenery - became the foundation of Reina’s interior program. Youth were also invited to participate in a design challenge, with prizes awarded for the most imaginative and practical ideas. The result is a building that feels genuinely responsive to the lives of its future residents.

Reina’s interiors were not treated as an afterthought or decorative flourish - they were conceived as a core element of the building’s purpose. The team, led by Principal Heather Rolleston, translated the soft, curved language of the building’s exterior into a warm, inviting interior palette rooted in livability.

"We set out to design a condo that felt like home, not a hotel. We focused on the details that make day-to-day life easier and more dignified spaces that reduce friction and foster community, especially for families. The process was grounded in empathy, and it shows in the final design."

Heather Rolleston, Principal, BDP Quadrangle

The amenity spaces support a wide range of activities and age groups - sound-buffered music rooms, hobby and art spaces, a lending tool library and bookable communal dining and games rooms. Each floor includes dedicated stroller parking, a simple yet impactful feature that emerged directly from community feedback.

One of the most beloved innovations is the “snack shack”, a vibrant space for coffee, healthy bites and late-night cravings, inspired by input from local Girl Guides. Adjacent to it, a glass-walled playroom connects visually with the gym - a thoughtful design that acknowledges the realities of caregiving and creates moments of connection across generations.

Reina is setting a new precedent for what residential development can look like when a community of voices shape the process.

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