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Tower Renewal crash course, update on “Showcase”

by ERA Architects

...of new zoning laws, new initiatives, and the current wave of collective enthusiasm for the project in general. It’s a very exciting time for Tower Renewal, and the above presentation (click image to play) does a great job of communicating that excitement, but also the depth and complexity of the entire range of related issues and initiatives.      ...

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Download North York’s Modernist Architecture Revisited

by admin

...plus additional notable North York buildings built between 1945 and 1981. Also included is a proposed heritage policy strategy, biographies of several prominent architects, and an essay on North York’s modernist beginnings. Please note that North York’s Modernist Architecture Revisited includes over 300 photographs and the PDF is quite large. At 32mb, the file may take some time to download....

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Public space: Two from our library

by ERA Architects

...public life and urban analysis. The Concise Townscape by Gordon Cullen, Architectural Press, 1971 Jan Gehl’s 2013 publication, discussed above, brought to mind Gordon Cullen’s classic Townscape (1961), and it’s abridged version, The Concise Townscape. The text is an influential study of the visual and experiential intricacies of urban form. It looks at a wide range of how the city-goer...

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What’s on This Week: The Ward Book Launch, Toronto the Good, TCLF Conference, and Doors Open Toronto

by ERA Architects

...22, 8:30am, as part of the TCLF conference series, Second Wave of Modernism III: Leading with Landscape will take place. The conference will tackle numerous issues including those that deal with the city’s identity – what does it mean for a 21st century city to be historic and modern at the same time? – and stewardship – what new models...

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Gaspé: Vernacular Architecture Forum

by ERA Architects

...the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The bilingual conference explored two major themes: religious expressions (beyond organized churches), and economic evolution in Gaspé’s cultural landscapes. Beyond the conference theme itself, ERA was struck by the rigour with which members of the VAF take on the discourse of the vernacular, including the extensive the field research that often forms its basis. We...

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The Star’s Big Ideas: GTA’s future in high-rise suburbs

by ERA Architects

...green loan funds to finance retrofits and green infrastructures. Most important, though, is vision and new focus. For example: direct planned transit investment to service Apartment Neighbourhoods; create a policy framework to remove barriers and attract new investment; work with communities to design local initiatives that are supported and development-ready. With the right approach, the GTA can evolve into a...

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Building Toronto: Archives and Architects Lecture Series

by admin

...McClelland of ERA Architects will explore how academic and popular interest in building types and materials changes over time, and how important it is for archives to support primary research in these new and different areas. * Admission to the series is free, but pre-registration is required for the lecture. Please contact Paul Sharkey at [email protected] for tickets or information....

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Innovation and the public realm

by ERA Architects

...the City of Toronto to create a connected public realm surrounding key cultural institutions and landscapes in the city. These include the “Cultural Institutions in the Public Realm,” “Defining the Public Realm: Waterfront Culture and Heritage Infrastructure Plan,” and “Growing Opportunities: Investing in, revitalizing, and sustaining Allan Gardens“ reports. Coming soon: The full final report and research highlights. Stay tuned…...

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Royal Victoria Hospital, circa 1917, showing the entry procession and multiple buildings up the incline of Mount Royal.
Project Updates

A New Life for the Former Royal Victoria Hospital in Montréal

by ERA Architects

...in the Scottish neo-baronial style. Located on the slope of Mount Royal, it was intended to be a place of healing close to nature and far from the industrial city, in accordance with the theories of the time. The hospital was also a place to advance the knowledge of medical sciences and to train nurses. Over its 130-year history, several...

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A Field Guide to Tactical Heritage Urbanism

by ERA Architects

...past and present. Canada is an international leader in the creation of policies that support the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, the understanding that society is in essence a valuable and diverse cultural web. This topic is of great relevance at this time, as municipal policies require the same recognition of cultural knowledge transfer between populations and generations as...

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Meditating on the Med

by admin

A small Italian town offers a soothing break for those who take the time to get to know it. Featured in the National Post Written by Scott Weir Rome’s cottage country – National Post...

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Portrait of William Greer, facing the camera in 3/4 position, his left hand pensively at his chin.

Bill Greer (1925–2023)

by Michael McClelland, principal

...the architect is to be, at heart, a collaborator with others. It is his leadership through collaboration that was his hallmark. I think of the wonderfully nuanced King James Place by KPMB, just west of St. Lawrence Hall, or the carefully balanced conservation strategy for Spadina House. But what I most recall is the impact of Bill Greer as he...

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