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The Umphreville Block is a commercial infill located on a commercially zoned property in the residential neighbourhood of Riverdale. After numerous community consultations and the COVID-19 shutdowns, The Umphreville Block opened in fall of 2021. The building’s scale (6,800 square feet, 640 square metres) reflects the small-scale residential nature of the community and provides more walkable amenities within the river valley. Both the design and build make great efforts to include local craftspeople and incorporate the rich history of Riverdale throughout.

Since 2015, the River Valley Company has participated in the ownership and operation of a commercially zoned property in Riverdale called Little Brick Café. After careful and continued restoration, the building has been operating as a café/workspace/event space and has been a great success. In the fall of 2019, River Valley Company took on their first new build on another commercially zoned property at 10158 90th street in the same river valley community of Riverdale. After numerous community consultations and the pandemic, the Umphreville Block opened in the fall of 2021. 

The scale of the mixed-use development, 6800 sf (640 m2), was intended to reflect the the small scale residential nature of the community and provide more walkable amenities within the mature neighbourhood + river valley. At 2.5 stories the building contains a bakery and a bistro on main, offices on the second floor and two short term rental suites on top with a large rooftop patio.

Riverdale was once home to a large brick manufacturing plant owned by J.B. Little, whose family home was located in the community. The area was a self-sustaining community with many workers, mostly Dutch settlers, calling the area home; this working-class group of families called themselves the “Dogpatch”.

The Umphreville Block form was derived from the neighbourhood’s peaked roof typology. The scale was intentionally kept small at just 2.5 storeys in order to integrate within the urban fabric and not tower over neighbouring properties.

Red brick was chosen as the primary exterior material as a nod to the once-industrial history of the area. Interior spaces also reflect this utilitarian past by incorporating a DLT wood structure, concrete finishes and, once again, red brick.

A patio with picnic tables flanks the east and south sides of the building in an effort to soften the facade and activate the streetscape. The patio itself is constructed from reclaimed wood from the Cloverdale footbridge, which was salvaged by a local Edmonton Company (Urban Timber).

A common theme that emerges throughout is the engagement of local craftspeople. Due to the pandemic, certain products became increasingly difficult to obtain and prices were escalating. This skilled community helped to create many unique pieces for the interior, which ultimately make the space feel more authentic and regional.

Krahn Engineering

Arrow Engineering

River Valley Co.

Value

client

status

A commercial infill to provide walkable amenities for the community of Riverdale in Edmonton, with an emphasis on promoting local craftspeople and locally sourced materials.

A prefabricated heavy timber solution for the City of Edmonton's Missing Middle competition, coined the Treehouse. 

Umphreville Block

holo-blok Team

External Team