The project site at 526–532 Normandy Road is ideally situated within the heart of the Royal Oak neighbourhood, a well-connected and amenity-rich area of Saanich. Residents will benefit from exceptional walkability, with key destinations just minutes away.
Project Team
The redevelopment of 526–532 Normandy Road exemplifies the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD), aligning closely with both provincial and municipal policy goals for sustainable urban growth. Located within a designated Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) under Bill 47, the site sits just steps from the Royal Oak Transit Exchange, a major hub offering high-frequency service to key destinations across Greater Victoria. This proximity to transit infrastructure makes it an ideal location to support increased residential density while minimizing car dependency.
Sustainability is at the core of Aryze’s design philosophy, and the redevelopment of 526–532 Normandy Road exemplifies a comprehensive approach that blends high-performance building standards, ecological restoration, and transportation demand management. This project is designed to meet BC Energy Step Code 4, one of the highest tiers of energy efficiency in the province. This commitment will enhance indoor comfort, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and lower energy costs for residents over the long term.
The redevelopment at 526–532 Normandy Road is thoughtfully designed to support the creation of a complete and connected community—a place where residents have easy access to housing, amenities, transportation, and green space, all within walking or cycling distance. The site’s location, steps from Royal Oak Shopping Centre, Broadmead Village, Saanich Commonwealth Place, Normandy Park, and the Royal Oak Transit Exchange, makes it an ideal node for a vibrant urban lifestyle.
The project site at 526–532 Normandy Road is ideally situated within the heart of the Royal Oak neighbourhood, a well-connected and amenity-rich area of Saanich. Residents will benefit from exceptional walkability, with key destinations just minutes away.
Royal Oak Shopping Centre is located approximately 850 metres from the site—a comfortable 12-minute walk—while Broadmead Village, another vibrant commercial hub, is only 650 metres away or a 9-minute walk.
Placing new housing in close proximity to existing amenities supports Saanich’s broader objective of creating a sustainable, compact community.
By concentrating growth in areas where residents can easily walk, cycle, or take transit to access services, the municipality can reduce car dependency, promote healthier lifestyles, and support more efficient infrastructure use. This proposal introduces thoughtfully designed multi-family housing that enhances neighbourhood vibrancy while remaining sensitive to the existing character and rhythm of the Royal Oak area.
The site is also directly adjacent to the Saanich Commonwealth Place, a major recreational and cultural facility offering a public library, aquatic centre, gymnasium, and a wide variety of wellness programs. This premier destination serves not only Royal Oak but also residents from across Greater Victoria, providing a strong foundation for active, engaged living.
Just 100 metres west along Normandy Road is Normandy Park, a small but well-loved green space featuring a playground and seating area—ideal for families and casual recreation.
Additionally, Beaver Lake Park and Quick’s Bottom Park are both within a 2km cycling radius, offering extensive natural areas and trail networks.
The proposed development builds on the success of these community assets by introducing much-needed housing options that will serve a broad range of residents eager to contribute to—and benefit from—the vitality of the Royal Oak neighbourhood.
The architectural massing has been carefully shaped to optimize livability and neighbourhood fit. The building positively frames and activates the Normandy Road frontage with clearly defined entrances and ground oriented residential suites.
The street-fronting façade steps from 6 to 5 storeys to transition down to the existing lower-scaled structures West of the site. Deeper into the property, the building geometry is rotated to follow the contours of the Normandy Creek riparian setback and to achieve a congruous spatial relationship with the apartment building at 520 Normandy.
The courtyard shape was developed to optimize daylight for building occupants and to mitigate shadow impacts on adjacent properties. The courtyard will be activated by structured and planted landscape elements, shared amenity space and the overlook of private patios and balconies.
Amenity spaces have been located to achieve functional and social purposes, with a ground level amenity space that connects to the shared Courtyard amenities.
A second amenity room is located at Level 6, adjacent to the shared amenity roof deck. By this combination of two amenity spaces, residents will enjoy access to spaces with different characters and complimentary solar access through the day.
Service spaces have been located to optimize accessibility and active frontages. All vehicle parking is located in the basement parkade, along with most of the secure bicycle parking. The main electrical and water entry rooms are required to be located on the ground floor, above the property’s flood construction level. To preserve street frontage for active uses, these service rooms have been located internally and overlooking the side yard parking ramp. One bike storage room is located on the Normandy Road frontage, to be used for larger cargo-style bikes and located where livability for a suite would be compromised by the adjacent ramp, staging area and pad mounted transformer).
The massing and arrangement of program have been developed in concert to achieve key objectives for livability, sustainability and contextually sensitive urban design.
Height
6 Storeys
Site Area
43,458 sf
Floor Area
108,508 sf
FSR
2.49
Amenity room and outdoor courtyard on L1 and Amenity room and deck on L6
Energy Efficiency
Step Code 4
Number of Homes
132 Homes
Studio
17 Homes
One Bedroom
76 Homes
Two Bedroom
33 Homes
Three Bedroom
6 Homes
Adaptable Units
30 Units
Car Parking Stalls
55
Bike - Class 1
159 Stalls
Bike - Class 2
6 Stalls
Total Bike Parking
165 Stalls
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Aryze has shown a clear ability to follow through on community promises, demonstrating not only thoughtful planning but also reliable execution.
The construction completion and lease-up of 520 Normandy Road—Saanich’s first Step Code 4 purpose-built rental building directly next door to this proposed development—demonstrated measurable success in achieving key housing and community objectives.
The project has also proven successful in retaining and attracting local residents: several tenants relocated from nearby neighbourhoods or elsewhere in the Capital Region, reflecting a demand for high-quality rental housing within walkable, transit-connected communities. Many residents previously lacked access to ownership, reinforcing the value of secure rental tenure.
We are committed to being good neighbours and having honest, open dialogues within the communities where we do our work.
We are available to discuss project details with neighbours and stakeholders to build trust and shared vision for the project.
Register to learn more about the proposal and stay informed throughout the approval process or get in touch with us directly at community@aryze.ca.
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