FEBRUARY 2026 shaped Empresa’s next development, Monashee, a 42-unit purpose-built rental project in Victoria’s Fairfield neighbourhood. Completed and fully leased in 2024, Monashee followed a lengthy rezoning and redesign process after an initial proposal was turned down by council. “That was a gut-wrenching experience,” Karl admits. “But it forced us to completely rethink the project and in the end, it made it much better.” Working closely with Cascadia Architects, Empresa drew inspiration from historic U-shaped apartment buildings throughout Fairfield. “We toured a lot of older buildings in the neighbourhood,” Karl explains. “They had this way of creating courtyards that felt protected and human-scaled.” The resulting design features a recessed central courtyard and a terraced form that steps down toward nearby single-family homes. “It gives relief to the street,” Karl says. “It makes the building feel more approachable, while placing the density where it makes the most sense.” Natural materials and undulating forms give Monashee a distinctive identity, inspired in part by the Monashee Mountain Range. “That range has a lot of meaning for my wife and I,” Karl notes. “The name, the materials, the movement of the building – it all ties back to that landscape.” A standout feature is the prominent ground-level bike room, designed to encourage alternative transportation. “We gave up almost the size of a three-bedroom unit to create that space,” Karl says. “But we wanted biking to be easy and inviting, not an afterthought.” The impact was
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