On Sunday, November 22nd, the Church of the Redeemer held a dedication for the recent work done on the building. The congregation warmly thanked ERA for their commitment to the project, which involved work to both the exterior and interior of this notable landmark. Continue reading…
This past Friday, I was invited to present my master of architecture thesis to ERA Architects. My thesis, titled “Living Heritage: Re-imagining Wooden Crib Grain Elevators in Saskatchewan,” explores the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the iconic wooden grain elevators across the Canadian Prairie. Continue reading…
How do you commemorate the heritage of a complex, evolving neighbourhood that is still in the throes of change? How do you interpret the vibrancy of a neighbourhood while considering the significance of its buildings, most of which no longer exist? ERA Architects is addressing these questions through the establishment of a Commemoration Strategy for Regent Park. We are collaborating with Swerhun Facilitation, Toronto Community Housing, and (most importantly) past and current residents of Regent Park to develop recommendations for safeguarding and promoting the community’s heritage. Continue reading…
Following the success of the ESS sport court, ERA has been retained to oversee the design and construction of a new sports court and outdoor community space in the Ridgeway neighbourhood of northwest Mississauga. Continue reading…
Photo Credit: Marcus Mitanis
After much awaited anticipation, Heritage Toronto held its awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 13th, 2015. The event was held at the Koerner Hall in Toronto and was hosted by the host of CBC Radio’s Fresh Air, Mary Ito. This year’s Kilbourn Lecturer was Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President and CEO of the Toronto Foundation. The awards ceremony was preceded by a special Mayor’s Reception, where Mayor John Tory spoke about the importance of heritage conservation in architecture. Continue reading…
In an effort to bring emerging green technologies and practices into Ontario, the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc. held its 6th Canadian German Conference on Energy Efficient Retrofits in Buildings. Continue reading…
The University of Toronto put forward an eight-week intensive Landscape of Landmark Quality Innovative Design Competition to revitalize the historic landscapes of St. George campus. These major public spaces include King’s College Circle, Hart House Circle, the Sir Daniel Wilson Quadrangle, Back Campus, and Tower Road. Following a qualification stage, four teams were selected to prepare design proposals. Continue reading…
On Saturday, September 26th, the Third Not-So-Annual Harvest Festival took place in Thorncliffe Park. Hosted by not-for-profit Diasporic Genius (DG), the festival featured a pop-up Women’s Cultural Café, an initiative of the Thorncliffe Action Group (TAG). Diasporic Genius, TAG, and ERA Architects collaborated to design, build, and run this dynamic pop-up café. Continue reading…
This Saturday, September 19, 2015, Mirvish Village will be hosting the grand opening of the Markham House, located at 610 Markham Street. Doors will open from 11:00am to 6:00pm, providing guests the opportunity to revel in an abundance of festivities. There will be food and drinks presented by tasty cafes and restaurants from the Annex and Mirvish Village area, and beautiful music organized by the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival. Continue reading…
Heritage Toronto recently released the list of award nominees for the William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship category. ERA is proud to be part of six out of sixteen nominated teams.
Calvin D. Evans’ Master Shipbuilders of Newfoundland and Labrador: Volume Two, Notre Dame Bay to Petty Harbour magnificently captures the rich maritime history spanning the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador.
What happens when a building’s heritage conservation is complicated by new building codes that were non-existent at the time of its construction? Continue reading…
Culture of Outports (CoO) uses research, design, and planning to help support liveable communities undergoing economic and cultural change after the closure of Newfoundland’s Cod Fishery.
Throughout most of the dynamic city of Toronto, structures originally built as houses have been transformed for innovative use. These transformed houses often create spaces for businesses, organizations, and various other establishments; such alterations often generate some of the busiest streetscapes in Toronto. Continue reading…
As part of ongoing research related to the Tower Renewal project, ERA’s Graeme Stewart and Michael McClelland, with project partners Evergreen Cityworks and planningAlliance, recently toured the Netherlands and Germany. Continue reading…
This month’s issue of Metropolis Magazine ranks Toronto #1 globally for liveability; it is in good company with Tokyo and Helsinki, numbers two and three respectively.
Early this spring, the highly anticipated Second Wave of Modernism III: Leading with Landscape, a conference series led by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), was held at Isabel Bader Theatre on Friday May 22nd.
It was attended by 430 conference delegates from Canada and around the world, including a significant contingent of City of Toronto staff from various departments. TCLF has put together a series of videos from the outstanding conference for public access.
Individual speaker presentations can be accessed here.
You can read our review of the conference here.
The highly anticipated Second Wave of Modernism III: Leading with Landscape, a conference series led by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), was held at Isabel Bader Theatre on Friday May 22nd. Continue reading…
The use of Section 37 as a planning tool has not been without controversy. This area of the Planning Act, which grants developers exemptions from planning rules (e.g., additional height and/or density) in exchange for them providing capital for public facilities and amenities (think park space, public art, and streestscape improvements), has been referred to as ‘let’s make a deal planning‘ by legal experts, a ‘shakedown‘ by former politicians, and an additional fee for developers. Continue reading…
As architects (and appreciators of all things historic) an office discussion regarding family heirlooms of tools, appliances, and other cool items (that predate most of our staff) has resulted in this great photo collection of household artifacts.
Brendan Stewart has a block and tackle handed down from his great grandfather..
…and a rocking chair that came from his great great grandparents that dates back at least 150 years.
Sydney Martin’s very old microwave. She even has a cookbook complete with a microwaved rack of lamb recipe.
![draftingkit[1] tatum](https://www.eraarch.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/draftingkit1-tatum.png)
Tatum Taylor’s grandfather’s set of architectural drafting tools.
Philip Evans has this bright red and yellow 1961 lawn mower.
Lindsay Reid has a set of tools in her workshop from her grandfather…
.. and a really cool foot measuring tool.
Scott Weir’s wooden boatbuilding tools, belonging to family member James Weir of Glasgow.
A 17th- 18th century Norwegian mangle board used to flatten linen is a family heirloom of Victoria Angel.
And the greatest of all, Edwin Rowse’s 95 year old toaster, equipped with a slice of fresh toast to prove it still works.
In recognition of their professional achievements, ERA Architects is excited to announce the appointment of five of our staff to the position of Associate.
It is a paradoxical time for the future of public spaces in Toronto. We live in a moment of increasing public awareness and interest in public spaces, but also face decreasing public resources to support them. Continue reading…
Ensuring developers make contributions toward the public realm rests on how the process is managed. Whether developers are perceived as purely profit-driven or act with a social conscience depends on how the parameters are set, as well as how public goals are defended and realized. Continue reading…
When Toronto councillors and staff direct money into the street, it does the city a service. City advocate, Annabel Vaughn, observes that the public realm is what we understand. When we walk around the city, we see the first six stories of a building, and the rest is out of sight. Continue reading…
When ERA’s book Concrete Toronto: A Guide to Concrete Architecture from the Fifties to the Seventies was featured at Boston’s Pinkcomma Gallery, which exhibited concrete buildings in the Boston area, Graeme Stewart and Michael McClelland had the chance to meet with Chris Grimley, Michael Kubo, and Mark Pasnik.