Project Overview
The Leroy Sixplex is a multi-unit residential infill project on a compact lot in East York, Toronto. Completed in 2025, the project introduces six new homes on a lot type traditionally reserved for a single detached house. At the same time, the design maintains a calm and respectful presence within an established low-rise neighbourhood.
6ixDesign designed and engineered the project entirely in-house. Our team led the work from early schematic concepts and site zoning analysis through building permit approvals and tender-ready construction drawings.
The Leroy Sixplex also supports Toronto’s growing “missing middle” housing movement. This form of housing bridges the gap between detached homes and mid-rise buildings. As a result, it increases housing supply and choice without requiring large-scale redevelopment or disrupting neighbourhood character.
Design Strategy
Reinterpreting the Small-Lot Typology
One of the project’s central challenges was accommodating six residential units on one of Toronto’s smallest residential lot typologies.
As Senior Architectural Designer, Narsi Naghikhani led the spatial planning and design development process, carefully balancing zoning constraints, Ontario Building Code requirements, structural efficiency, and architectural clarity.
The design needed to reconcile client expectations with public interest, increasing density without compromising livability, privacy, or neighbourhood rhythm. With limited floor area, unit planning became especially complex. Circulation, daylight access, fire separations, exit requirements, and mechanical systems all had to be resolved within a compact footprint.
“Designing higher-density housing on one of the smallest lot typologies in the city takes real discipline. Projects like this are the purest expression of ‘form follows function.’ Every square foot has to serve multiple purposes while maintaining comfort for future residents. The real challenge is creating floor plans that achieve maximum functionality without losing that sense of ease and livability, all while shaping a façade and overall massing that sit naturally within the surrounding urban fabric.”
— Narsi Naghikhani
This philosophy informed every decision, from massing and unit organization to façade articulation, transforming municipal constraints into architectural clarity.
Unit Distribution
The building is organized across four levels: three storeys above grade and one level below grade, accommodating six residential units within a highly efficient footprint.
The vertical distribution is structured as follows:
- Basement Level: Two units, each with direct access to finished grade. The rear unit is designed as a fully barrier-free suite in conformance with the Ontario Building Code.
- Ground Floor: Two units. The front unit has direct access to grade, while the rear unit is accessed via shared exterior stairs.
- Second and Third Floors: One unit per floor, each accessed through the shared exterior stair system.
Primary access is provided by a central exterior stair carved from the building mass, creating a recessed vertical circulation zone. A secondary rear exterior stair provides additional egress from private balconies on each level.
A double sided elevator delivers direct in-suite access from exterior finished grade, a feature rarely seen in small lot infill projects, enhancing accessibility and long term adaptability.
A rooftop mechanical room consolidates building systems efficiently, preserving valuable interior floor area below for livable space.
Façade and Urban Context
Given the extremely tight lot dimensions, opportunities for dramatic volumetric articulation were limited. The building mass had to remain compact and efficient.
Within these constraints, the façade was carefully composed to reflect the scale and rhythm of the surrounding neighbourhood while expressing a contemporary architectural language aligned with 6ixDesign’s studio philosophy.
Material selection, window proportions, and massing transitions were thoughtfully balanced to ensure the building feels integrated rather than imposed. The result is a structure that contributes to the evolving character of East York while respecting its established streetscape.
Navigating an outdated zoning framework while maintaining architectural integrity required a disciplined approach. Compliance with municipal bylaws was achieved without compromising design intent, reinforcing our belief that thoughtful architecture can translate vision into reality and meaningfully shape the spaces people inhabit.
Structural and Engineering Considerations
The project utilizes a cold-formed steel framing system combined with structural steel components.
In multi-unit steel-framed construction, fire protection becomes a primary design driver. Special attention was given to:
- Protection of structural steel members
- Fire-rated floor-to-wall connections
- Suite separations
- Exterior wall assemblies
Close coordination between architectural, structural, and mechanical systems was essential to integrate services within tight floor plates without compromising ceiling heights or spatial quality. This integrated approach allowed technical rigor to coexist with design clarity.
Building Code and Compliance
The Leroy Sixplex occupies a nuanced position within the Ontario Building Code, falling between classifications typically associated with small and large buildings. This introduced a layered compliance framework that significantly influenced spatial organization and life-safety strategy.
As Senior Architectural Designer, Narsi Naghikhani led the building code review and compliance coordination. Provisions such as two separate exit stairs presented substantial design challenges within a compact 900-square-foot floor plate. Maintaining efficiency while meeting rigorous life-safety standards required precise planning and careful detailing.
Key code-driven considerations included:
- Fire separation between suites
- Fire-rated exterior wall construction
- Protection of steel structural assemblies
- Barrier-free design integration
- Coordinated exit strategy
Each requirement was resolved with disciplined coordination, ensuring full compliance without sacrificing clarity, comfort, or architectural intent.
Design Significance
The Leroy Sixplex demonstrates how intelligent, technically disciplined design can unlock meaningful density within one of Toronto’s smallest residential lot typologies.
Rather than viewing zoning restrictions and building code requirements as limitations, the project treats them as design parameters, shaping a building that is efficient, livable, and contextually sensitive.
