An 85% sold-out heritage-inspired townhome development in Victoria’s Burnside Gorge neighbourhood is nearing the anticipated release of its five remaining residences.

 

Washington, a 34-home two, three and four-bedroom family-oriented townhouse development underway at 3080 Washington Avenue from builder-developer Formwell (see website), has already inspired a new generation of savvy homebuyers searching for value in one of the country's most desirable real-estate markets.

 

And this weekend, the company is set to unveil its previously held back homes which will feature a selection of three and four-bedroom options spanning just over 1,300 square feet to nearly 1,600 square feet, with single or double car garages. Coinciding with the sales effort, Formwell will also be welcoming the public to its newly completed display home showcasing the company’s pledge to pushing the boundaries for build quality, functionality, and unique, heritage-inspired interior design.

 

“We are so pleased to unveil our new Washington Display Home as part of this coveted release of homes,” said Formwell co-founder, Sam Ganong.

 

“Our display home is a great opportunity to help prospective homebuyers experience the remarkable care and attention to improving livability that makes a Formwell home different. We believe we can create townhomes that can rival the experience of living in a single-family-home, and our homes at Washington are designed with this idea as a central tenet of our design philosophy,” Ganong continued.

 

With its first phase of pre-sales made available last fall, Washington sold-out of its initial allotment of two, three and four-bedroom units quicker than anticipated with support from one of Victoria’s leading sales groups, Island Realm Real Estate. Subsequent campaigns between February and April drew more buyers, who pushed the project to a near sell-out.

 

A rendering of Washington's exterior. The project is heritage-inspired, with white picket fence nostalgia reminiscent of mid-century single-family-homes.  Formwell Homes

 

Ganong and co-founding partner Kyle Ryan allocated five homes among the 34 for the end of the sales program – which the duo describe as a collection both are partial to – to coincide with the display home’s completion. According to Ryan, feedback during early previews of Formwell’s first finished residence reflect the attention to detail and teamwork that precedes the Formwell brand.

 

“We had the opportunity to offer our existing homebuyers with an early look at the display home this past weekend as part of a private open house,” said Ryan. “We knew people would be pleased but we had no idea with just how excited people would be. We were taken aback by the overwhelmingly positive response. Our purchasers were thrilled with the care and level of detail that was taken by our team during construction. We can’t wait to welcome owners home this spring.”

 

Formwell’s inaugural development has been popular among a wide range of homebuyers drawn to its central, urban location along the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood’s Galloping Goose Regional Trail, and close to amenities like Mayfair Shopping Centre, the Selkirk Waterfront community, and within walking or cycling distance to downtown Victoria. For individuals interested in a car-lite or car-free lifestyle, Burnside Gorge has the right mix of walkability, transit connectivity and nearby amenities to make vehicle ownership a choice, rather than a necessity.

 

And once completed in 2023, Washington will include the establishment of a new stretch of public greenway that will serve as part of the Doric Connector creating a new protected walking and cycling link to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail spanning from Washington Avenue to Balfour Avenue.

 

Location aside, Formwell has created a unique townhome style for the Capital, bridging traditional white picket fence nostalgia with the efficiencies and practicality of urban living. Its contemporary rowhomes provide convenient, ground-level access and yards for pets and children, while inside, well-considered and highly functional interiors envisioned in collaboration with Victoria-based interior design firm, Bidgood, appeal to right-sizers, young couples and growing families.

 

Although Washington is Formwell’s first project, the company’s co-founders are no strangers to the Capital’s real-estate development industry.

 

Functional storage is at the forefront of Formwell’s design approach, like this built-in entry storage area.  Mary McNeill Knowles / MMK Creative

 

Kyle Ryan and partner Sam Ganong have overseen the construction of hundreds of townhomes and condominiums in Greater Victoria, and in 2021 the duo came together as Formwell Homes. Ryan, with expertise in construction project management, oversees the homebuilding process, while Ganong focuses on design, municipal planning and approvals phases.

 

The pair started Formwell with a goal to improve the multi-family living experience through a commitment to creating more livable designs, driven by their own personal experiences raising families. Both having worked extensively in residential new home development and construction, the co-founders realized an opportunity to improve the townhome experience to better suit the needs of families, which the pair agrees has been delivered with Washington, their first project.

 

Within Formwell’s creative context, careful consideration of the company’s inaugural project location was met with an equal investment into the study of how homes are lived in, and how curated features or custom design elements can make the most of every room.

 

"We’ve carefully considered how families really live and take advantage of shared and personal spaces,” Ryan told Citified during an earlier phase of home sales.

 

"This understanding formed the basis for our design decision-making, from the macro decisions like floorplans, window and ceiling heights, light and air circulation, storage and materiality, to much more granular or functional ones, like where people are going to store a broom, or their toaster," he added.

 

Townhome living spaces overlook a tree-lined setting on a quiet residential street in Burnside Gorge.  Mary McNeill Knowles / MMK Creative

 

Continuous wall insulation and double wall assemblies create quieter, more private living spaces at Washington, and premium touches such as expansive open and closed shelving (including broom and small appliance storage), pot and pan rails, built-in recycling stations, and generous spaces to fit every-day and occasional items illustrate Formwell’s desire to go above and beyond. Meanwhile, main floors feature single-family-home-inspired cased-opening millwork, large windows and over-height ceilings, with generous lighting to create uplifting ambiance.

 

Garages will come electric-vehicle (EV) ready, helping guide the transition towards emerging car technologies.

 

As construction at Washington continues, Formwell is actively working through approvals for a 14-unit three and four-bedroom townhome project on Ophir Street in Saanich’s Mt. Tolmie neighbourhood, aligning with Saanich’s vision for the Shelbourne Valley by providing diversified, low-rise housing forms that are located within a close walk to services and amenities, parks and schools, major transit routes and a future cycling route to encourage active forms of transportation.

 

Formwell is also in the approvals stage for two projects on the West Shore, where the company plans to deliver its unique home designs to the communities of Langford and Colwood.

 

To learn more about Washington’s five available homes, visit the company's website, here. Formwell's Washington Display Home home will be available for viewing this weekend at 3080 Washington Avenue, noon to 2PM (Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd). Viewings by appointment will also be accommodated by connecting with Island Realm Real Estate. C

 

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