Project Updates
Out East
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Philip and Will recently took a trip out to Halifax, to give a public lecture at the Dalhousie School of Architecture and to introduce the Culture of Outports Free Lab project to the students and faculty. ERA has coordinated and will be leading an intensive two-week design/build studio in the outport community of Burlington, Newfoundland. ...
Read MoreCanada Hair Cloth
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ERA is currently working with DSAI to convert the former Canada Hair Cloth factory in St. Catharines, ON, into Brock University’s new school for the performing arts. We’ve been down to site a few times to survey the conditions of the existing buildings – the oldest of which dates to 1888 – in order to...
Read MoreRestoration of Spirit of John A. Locomotive Underway
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Work is now underway on the relocation and restoration of The Spirit of John A locomotive in Kingston’s historic downtown. See the City’s website to follow along with the restoration of this unique landmark on Kingston’s waterfront.
Read MoreERA at the Drake
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Toronto Life magazine this month features a little teaser article about the forthcoming expansion to the Drake Hotel, led by ERA. The project has just been officially announced, though we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes for a good long while. Watch this space for more information soon…
Read MoreThe animals of the Coliseum
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As one small component of the interior restoration of the East Annex vestibule in the Coliseum Complex at Exhibition Place, ERA was asked to remove the wooden wall assembly and install new stair handrails. We considered a number of options and found that the most economical and appropriate for the space was a steel handrail...
Read MoreLoblaws Lakeshore
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The Financial Post has a small feature on the Loblaws Groceteria building at Lakeshore and Bathust. ERA are consulting as Heritage Architects on the developing project. Though Loblaws had no comment for the story, local developer Paul Oberman described the project eloquently: “I think that’s what heritage preservation is all about. It’s adaptive reuse: breathing...
Read MoreThe ghost of Matta-Clark visits Toronto
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As previously mentioned, ERA is involved with the redevelopment and rehabilitation of the John F. Taylor house, and work has now begun on site. The former east and west additions to the designated building have been removed, and general site preparation is underway. Restoration work is set to begin this spring, where by the heritage...
Read MoreStripping
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Work continues through the winter out at Allandale Station in Barrie, and Alana returned from a recent site visit with this evocative photo of the paint stripping in process.
Read MoreHome on the range
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Scott recently completed a kitchen renovation for a private home in Cabbagetown. Centred around a six burner Wolf range, the space was just wide enough to accommodate a galley format with two runs of extra deep counters, lit by new double hung Kolbe and Kolbe windows. More photos after the jump.. The fixtures include a...
Read MoreAllstream Centre _ restoration photographs
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A few very quick photographs from the restoration of the former Automotive Building north lobby. This part of the project included the removal of a number of unsympathetic modern additions, and a significant regrading of the original floor slope to accommodate contemporary universal accessibility requirements. Extensive metal work and finishes were also replicated or restored...
Read MoreMaple Leaf Gardens _ Heritage Interpretation Plan
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Alexandra Studio Fonds; 1257, series 1057, item 4737 Built in 1931, Maple Leaf Gardens quickly became a social and cultural hub in the city, and it is no overstatement to say that the wide variety of events held there over the ensuing decades influenced the cultural development of the nation. Best known as the home...
Read MoreThe Colours of the Allandale Train Station
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As part of the strategy to restore the Allandale Train Station, ERA is working to identify the exterior paint scheme, as it would have appeared in 1905. At the office social hour last Friday, Alana described how preliminary research uncovered clues to the original building colouration from a variety of sources including; archival photographs, newspaper...
Read MoreReel Revival: Danforth theatre restoration boosts neighbourhood
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To read Dave Leblanc’s article featured in the Globe and Mail please go to: Reel Revival: Danforth theatre restoration boosts neighbourhood – The Globe and Mail Photo taken by Dave Leblanc
Read MoreThe Brick Works _ from academia to practice
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Here at ERA, we seek to operate at the fine and blurred line between the realms of theory and practice. Two ERAers are currently teaching design studios at the Daniels School of Architecture at the University of Toronto, and a number of employees in the office have been able to continue working on large-scale projects...
Read MoreKing Edward Hotel condo conversion receives top marks.
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Christopher Hume, in his Toronto Star Condo Critic column, has given the ongoing King Eddy condo conversion project an ‘A’ grade. Though it was a social and business centre of Edwardian Toronto; for decades it never quite fitted in as anything more than the Grande Dame of King St. In the 21st century, that’s all...
Read MoreThe Allenby, to the Roxy, to the Allenby
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With the historic marquee now back in place, the Allenby has been catching a good bit of attention recently. From Christopher Hume’s piece Tim does its bit on the Danforth, in the Toronto Star: Cleaned up and nicely restored, the Allenby looks better than it has in years. The 1930s art deco movie house is...
Read MoreMLG in Canadian Architect
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Conceptual collage of overlapping 1930s and contemporary MLG streetscapes at the corner of Church and Carlton (including Humphrey Bogart biking by, just for good measure). William MacIvor, ERA Architects. The on-going adaptive reuse of Maple Leaf Gardens is featured in the June edition of Canadian Architect. ERA Architects has signed on to deal with the...
Read MoreKing Edward Hotel in the Globe & Mail
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Dave Leblanc had an article on the redevelopment of the King Edward Hotel in yesterdays Globe and Mail. The hotel – ventilation, colonnades and all – opened in May 1903 and was advertised as “absolutely fire-proof” (built of steel and concrete) to calm guests fearful of staying on upper floors. It had everything: Women-only areas...
Read MoreYou will never be late for work again
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Nissan commercial filmed in front of our client Steve’s freshly renovated house, a project ERA worked on in partnership with the terrific interior designers Croma Design, under Steve’s excellent direction. Nicely done Steve!
Read MoreMLG in the Globe
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This past Saturday’s Globe and Mail had a short piece by Lisa Rochon; Lighting up Maple Leaf Gardens, high-lighting (double pun intended) the ongoing interior demolition work at Maple Leaf Gardens. Photograph above by ERA Architects.
Read MoreArt of the Danforth, on the Roxy
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The first ever Art of the Danforth art crawl is in full swing, including an exhibition along on the hoarding at the Roxy (Formerly Allenby) Theatre construction site. ERA has been working on the restoration and adaptive re-use of the Allenby Theatre for ESSO, including the conversion of the lobby space of the old theatre...
Read MoreBrickworks in the news again
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Today’s Globe and Mail features an article by Angela Kryhul about the ongoing development at the Evergreen Brick Works; Brick Works fired up for the future, including an informative time-line of the historic evolution of the site. From the article: William Taylor was digging holes for fence posts one day when he came across a...
Read MoreOleleshwa Primary School construction update
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Alec has arrived in Kenya, where he is taking a few weeks away from ERA in order to oversee the construction of his design for the Oleleshua Primary School in Ewaso Ngiro. It looks as though work is sprinting ahead, with the entire community pitching in. For more updates, be sure and visit the project...
Read MoreUndoing the Gardens
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Since the story has leaked, we feel safe enough revealing some photographs of the interior demolition at Maple Leaf Gardens. These photographs were taken approximately three weeks ago, and work is on-going.. Though the destruction looks ‘apocalyptic’, it is all being performed in an extremely careful and controlled manner, and in the service of future...
Read MoreParkwood in the news
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Dave LeBlanc has an excellent article in the Globe and Mail today about one of our favorite projects, the Parkwood National Historic Site. Parkwood National Historic Site was built in 1916 as the home of the late R. S. McLaughlin, founder of General Motors Canada. The building, designed by prominent Toronto architects Darling and Pearson,...
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