Griffin Square and the Evolution of Griffintown: Our Perspective on a Changing Montreal Neighbourhood

By Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth, Co-Founders of Hillpark Capital

Neighbourhoods rarely change overnight, but some transform faster than others. Griffintown, in southwest Montreal, is one of them. Once known for its warehouses and industrial buildings, it has become one of the city's fastest-growing neighbourhoods, attracting new residents, businesses, and cultural institutions.

As co-founders of Hillpark Capital, we are working with Griffin Square, a residential development designed by ACDF Architecture. For us, understanding Griffin Square means understanding the neighbourhood around it. The relationship between a building and its surroundings is an important part of what makes a development meaningful.

Griffintown's transformation offers an opportunity to explore how architecture, housing, public spaces, and everyday life can come together to shape a growing urban community.

The Transformation of Griffintown Since 2012

The transformation of Griffintown is often traced back to 2012. Since then, former industrial sites have increasingly made way for residential developments, commercial spaces, and new public amenities.

As more people have moved into the neighbourhood, businesses and cultural institutions have followed. These changes have helped Griffintown evolve from an industrial district into a more active residential community.

Rapid growth, however, brings important questions. When a neighbourhood changes quickly, each new development must consider how it relates to the streets, buildings, and public spaces around it.

We believe that successful urban development involves more than constructing new buildings. It also requires attention to the surrounding environment and the experience of the people who live, work, and spend time there.

A Strategic Location at the Heart of the Neighbourhood

Griffin Square occupies a prominent corner at the intersection of Peel and Ottawa streets.

Its location brings together several different urban settings. Some sides of the complex face busy streets, while others overlook quieter streets, a courtyard, and a park.

This combination reflects the character of Griffintown itself. The neighbourhood brings together major roads, residential pockets, commercial activity, and green spaces.

For us, the location highlights an important consideration in urban development: a building should respond to the different environments it encounters rather than treating every side of the site in the same way.

Two Towers, One Architectural Identity

Griffin Square consists of two residential towers: one with 16 storeys and the other with 19. Positioned at right angles to one another, the towers are connected by a glass bridge.

The different heights create a varied profile on the Montreal skyline, while the bridge brings the two structures together as a unified residential complex.

ACDF Architecture, led on the project by designer Maxime Frappier, developed an architectural concept that balances a distinctive identity with a relationship to the surrounding neighbourhood.

In a district experiencing significant change, we see value in architecture that makes a clear statement while remaining attentive to its context. A building can contribute to the city's visual character without losing sight of the streets and public spaces at ground level.

Responding to the Streets Around the Building

One of the defining features of Griffin Square is the way its exterior changes in response to its surroundings.

The façades facing busier streets use darker tones, giving those sides a more grounded appearance that relates to the scale of the roads. On the sides facing the courtyard and narrower streets, lighter tones help bring a different character to the development.

This approach reflects the variety of conditions around the site. A large residential complex does not interact with every street in the same way, and its design can acknowledge those differences.

At the base of Griffin Square, a shopping arcade creates a connection between the building and the sidewalk. Ground-floor commercial activity can help bring movement and interaction to the street, allowing a residential development to participate in the life of the neighbourhood.

For a district like Griffintown, where the public realm continues to evolve, these connections matter.

A Building That Faces the Park

The façade overlooking the park is one of the most distinctive elements of Griffin Square's design.

Offset balconies with stainless-steel edges create a layered composition that reflects the sky and changes with the light. A bright frame brings the composition together, giving this side of the building a recognizable identity.

The design also establishes a visual relationship with the green space below.

We believe that the relationship between buildings and outdoor spaces is an important consideration in residential development. Parks and green spaces contribute to the character of a neighbourhood, and the buildings around them help shape how those spaces are experienced.

At Griffin Square, the park-facing design gives the complex a distinct presence while maintaining a connection to its surroundings.

Housing for a Diverse Community

Griffin Square includes 409 rental apartments, ranging from studios and one- and two-bedroom units to penthouses.

This variety provides different housing options within the same development. Young professionals, couples, families, and older residents may have different needs, and a range of apartment types can accommodate a wider mix of households.

As Griffintown continues to grow, housing diversity remains an important part of the conversation about the neighbourhood's future.

A district made up of different households can support a broader range of daily activities, services, and community connections. While no single building can determine the social character of a neighbourhood, the housing options it provides can contribute to that evolving mix.

We see Griffin Square as more than a collection of rental apartments. It is a residential environment designed around the everyday experiences of the people who live there.

Shared Spaces That Bring Residents Together

The shared amenities at Griffin Square are located on the second floor rather than exclusively on the roof. A glass bridge connects residents to these spaces.

The amenities include coworking areas, a lounge, a communal kitchen, a gym, and a yoga studio. They overlook a two-storey terrace with greenery and a long swimming pool.

Placing these spaces near the park creates a visual connection between the building's shared areas and the outdoor environment.

Shared amenities can serve different purposes in a residential community. Coworking areas offer space for work, while lounges and communal kitchens provide settings for informal gatherings. Fitness and wellness facilities give residents additional options within the building.

A rooftop terrace on the upper floors adds panoramic views across the city.

Together, these spaces are intended to provide residents with places to spend time beyond their individual apartments.

What Griffin Square Reflects About Griffintown

Looking at Griffin Square in the context of Griffintown's development brings several themes into focus.

1. Growth Requires Attention to Context

New buildings become part of an existing urban environment. Their relationship to streets, parks, neighbouring properties, and public spaces influences how they contribute to the neighbourhood.

At Griffin Square, the different façade treatments and the ground-floor arcade respond to the site's varied surroundings.

2. Housing Variety Can Support a Broader Community

A mix of apartment sizes offers housing options for different types of households.

Studios, family-sized apartments, and penthouses within one development create the potential for a more varied residential population.

3. Architecture Can Connect Private and Public Life

Bridges, terraces, commercial spaces, and shared amenities create connections within a building and between the building and its surroundings.

These elements can help residential developments participate in the wider life of a neighbourhood rather than functioning as isolated properties.

Questions Facing a Growing Neighbourhood

Griffintown's continued development raises questions that extend beyond any single project. Griffin Square provides one example of how a residential complex can respond to some of these challenges.

How can streets remain active as new buildings are added?

Ground-floor commercial spaces can help connect buildings to the sidewalk and create opportunities for activity along the street.

At Griffin Square, the shopping arcade provides a point of contact between the residential complex and the surrounding streets.

How can large buildings fit into a varied streetscape?

A large development may face busy roads, quieter streets, courtyards, and green spaces. Responding to these different conditions can help create a more considered relationship between a building and its surroundings.

The contrasting façade treatments at Griffin Square reflect the different environments around the site.

How can residential buildings support a sense of community?

Shared spaces can give residents opportunities to meet and interact.

At Griffin Square, the lounge, communal kitchen, coworking areas, gym, and yoga studio provide a range of shared environments within the complex.

How can housing serve different household needs?

A range of apartment types can offer options for residents at different stages of life.

Griffin Square's mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and penthouses reflects an approach that accommodates different housing preferences within one development.

These questions do not have permanent answers. Neighbourhoods evolve, and the long-term contribution of a building becomes clearer as residents use it and the surrounding district continues to change.

Looking Ahead: Griffin Square and the Future of Griffintown

Griffintown's transformation is ongoing. New developments will continue to shape its streets, housing options, commercial activity, and public spaces.

We see Griffin Square as one example of how a large residential development can participate in that process. Its design brings together two towers, a range of rental apartments, shared amenities, ground-floor commercial space, and a relationship with the surrounding streets and park.

For us, the broader lesson is that urban development involves more than the buildings themselves. It also involves how those buildings relate to the neighbourhood and the people who experience them every day.

As Griffintown continues to evolve, the lasting contribution of projects like Griffin Square will depend on how well they serve residents and fit into the district over time.

Our focus remains on the relationship between real estate investment, thoughtful development, and the communities in which we operate.

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About the Authors

Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth are the co-founders of Hillpark Capital, a Montreal-based real estate investment, development, and property management company established in 2011. The company operates across residential and commercial real estate, with a focus on investment, development, and property management.

They are working with Griffin Square, a residential development in Griffintown designed by ACDF Architecture.