Adaptable Condo: How Picnic Design’s Fort York Unit Does It All
Location: Toronto, Canada
Size: 900 sq. ft.
Status: Built
Design Team: Eric Martin, Joanne Lam
Photography: Scott Norsworthy
Awards: 2024 Architecture MasterPrize — Interior Design, Apartments
What if a condo could evolve with its residents through every phase of life?
Picnic Design’s Fort York Condo shows exactly how that is possible. Located in a typical Toronto high-rise, this innovative 900 sq. ft. unit adapts to a growing family’s changing needs through early childhood, teenage years, and beyond. By rethinking the layout and embedding flexibility right into the space's structure, it supports four distinct living scenarios without adding a single inch.
Winner of the 2024 Architecture MasterPrize in the Apartment Interior category, the renovation project offers a new model for long-term city living. And perhaps more importantly, it challenges how Toronto high-rises can better support families at every stage.
The Challenge
When our clients approached us, they were making do in their downtown condo. They could see that it would not meet the needs of their growing family. Originally a starter home, the unit now had to accommodate four people with a rigid, closed-off layout. A C-shaped kitchen disrupted flow. A small closet and no entry zone left nowhere to drop bags, shoes, or coats. Fixed bedroom walls limited the unit to single uses, reducing flexibility.
Instead of abandoning city living, the family wanted to reimagine their space to meet evolving needs now and in the future.
Discovery & Design
We began by studying how the family actually used their space. Early conversations focused on long-term flexibility. How can the condo support children growing into teenagers, allow for remote work, host guests, and eventually suit empty nesting, all within the same footprint?
We also accounted for common technical limits in Toronto condos, such as immovable core walls, existing ceiling clearances, and strict building codes. From the outset, the goal was to work within these constraints, not fight against them.
With those realities in mind, the design strategy centred on three priorities:
Maximizing usable space
Building a flexible infrastructure
Improving everyday flow
To start, we removed the fixed walls enclosing the second bedroom and reoriented the kitchen to eliminate its cramped peninsula. At the same time, we developed two custom-built movable walls to give the unit the adaptability it needed to function across changing life stages.
Design Solution 1: Moveable Walls for Flexibility Built Into the Bones
Two custom millwork walls roll along recessed tracks to divide the condo into flexible zones. Each wall is designed with distinct features that serve both sides of the space.
One wall faces the living area and includes a TV and media storage, while the opposite side provides a closet with shelving for the adjacent Murphy bed. The second wall, oriented toward the dining area, includes a concealed pull-out desk hidden behind pivot-and-slide doors, a liquor cabinet, and general storage. On the reverse side, it offers additional drawers and shelving near the second Murphy bed.
To ensure smooth movement, the walls glide on recessed floor tracks, using custom wood trucks fitted with four concealed, heavy-duty rollers. Originally designed for patio doors, the rollers were selected so that, together, they can support up to 800 pounds. Hidden ballast lowers the centre of gravity to eliminate the risk of tipping. The result is two adaptable walls that reconfigure the condo into four main layouts.
These are:
A workspace with expanded dining and one bedroom
A workspace with more living and dining space
Two bedrooms and one workspace
A single open-plan living area with an optional guest room
Each layout supports a different life stage:
Phase 1 (young children): Kids share the fixed bedroom while parents use the movable-wall bedroom.
Phase 2 (older children): Each child gets a private space using the movable-wall rooms; parents move to the primary suite.
Phase 3 (post-kids): The walls are pushed back to create a large living space, with a guest room available when needed.
The walls also handle infrastructure. Flexible cords fed from the ceiling power TVs, lighting, and devices as layouts shift. One desk folds from the Murphy bed; another slides out from the opposite wall. Both stow away when not in use, keeping the space clean and ready for guests.
Design Solution 2: Kitchen Reorientation & Circulation Improvements
We next turned to the kitchen, which originally featured a C-shaped space that could not accommodate two people at once. To improve function and flow, our team:
Rotated the peninsula 90 degrees and detached it to form a multifunctional island.
Extended the counter across an adjacent column to add prep space and integrate a larger sink and appliances.
Opened circulation so users could walk through the kitchen instead of entering a dead-end.
Reclaimed underused space from the adjacent bedroom to improve layout efficiency.
The result is a more connected kitchen that serves as a functional hub within the larger open-concept plan.
Design Solution 3: Creating a Vestibule Zone
The original condo lacked a defined entry, offering only a small closet near the bathroom and washer-dryer. To improve function and flow, we:
Introduced a vestibule using a tiled floor to mark the transition from entry to living space.
Built a compact closet with hooks and storage for outerwear and bags.
Integrated a bench into the kitchen island for seating, storing shoes, or dropping off groceries.
Used materials and millwork to cue a transition from “arrival” to “interior.”
The result is a more functional, welcoming entry that supports everyday family routines.
Outcomes
Fort York Condo challenges the idea that families must outgrow their condos or treat them as temporary. Instead, it offers a lasting alternative: a home that evolves with its residents.
By building flexibility into the layout itself, the project treats space as adaptable rather than fixed. It rethinks how families live and shows that thoughtful design—not square footage—can meet changing needs over time.
As cities grow and housing costs rise, Fort York suggests a different future. One where condos are built to support real life in the long term, and where good design makes the space feel generous, regardless of size.
Want to see how flexible design can unlock more value in your space? Contact Picnic Design for a free discovery call and view our residential interiors here.
