Skip to content

ERA Architects

Stories

collage of award-winning projects

2021: Honours & Awards at ERA

by ERA Architects

...in North America, the Ken Soble Tower is set to be one of the largest EnerPHit (Passive House retrofit) certified projects in the world. The renewal project brought 146 units of deeply-affordable seniors’ housing back online, making the Ken Soble Tower one of the most ambitious social housing transformations in the country, and paving the way for the nation’s aging...

Read More

Michael McClelland at the Getty: Toronto Towers

by ERA Architects

...Stats in Canada.” Accessed January 18th, 2013. http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/jufa/jufa_031.cfm English Heritage. 2009. “Government Review of Policies Relating to the Historic Environment.” Accessed January 15, 2013. http://www.britarch.ac.uk/info/ehreview15.html. Faludi, Eugene. 1963. “Report on Apartment Building Development in East Annex Planning District.” Toronto: E. G. Faludi and Associates, Town Planning Consultants Ltd. Ministry of Culture. 2006. “Heritage Property Evaluation.” Accessed January 15, 2013. http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/publications/Heritage_Tool_Kit_HPE_Eng_large.pdf....

Read More

Inspiring City Builders of Tomorrow: ERA & Janeโ€™s Walk

by ERA Architects

...Central Technical School, where they shared research strategies, made connections between Toronto and students’ places of origin, and inspired conversation about students’ interests. After a presentation by Jasmine on how to access online information from the Toronto Archives, the students broke into small groups to decide upon stops in the walking tour they wanted to create and research. Three classroom...

Read More

ACO Awards to Don Jail and Taylor House

by ERA Architects

...restoring many of its features and creating interpretive new solutions where restoration wasn’t feasible. Learn more about this project in our online portfolio. Bridgepoint won the Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Reuse, which aims to recognize “projects that highlight and incorporate significant heritage structures in fitting and imaginative ways, thereby conserving them for future use and enjoyment.” The Don Jail...

Read More
News & Events

ERA leads the conversation of digital transformation at the Beijing Urban and Architecture Biennale

by ERA Architects

...Urban Renewal: BIM and Adaptive Reuse online forum organized by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design. Curated and hosted by two architects in New York and in Beijing, the 3 hour, highly condensed international panel discussion brought over 1100 international online participants to investigate the relationship between BIM and adaptive reuse projects. Six internationally renowned architectural practices from four different...

Read More

Respectful Rehabilitation

by admin

...past year ERA Principal Michael McClelland was a guest lecturer at Simon Fraser University. His lectures on Respectful Rehabilitation included “Rehabilitation and New Design – The Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario” and “Balancing Heritage Conservation in the Private Sector: A Case Study of the Distillery District in Toronto”. They can now be viewed online at www.sfu.ca/city/city_pgm_videos.htm...

Read More

MP Peter Van Loan Supports Heritage Through Private Memberโ€™s Bill

by ERA Architects

...proposed. ERA’s Michael McClelland has been promoting incentives for almost 20 years. The public recognizes the value in preserving national heritage properties, yet the cost of preserving such infrastructure is often prohibitive when compared to alternatives such as demolition. This bill will ensure that the majority of remaining heritage properties are available for future generations of Canadians to engage with...

Read More

Passive House: A new way of working with existing buildings

by ERA Architects

...to improve housing quality and health outcomes in aging affordable housing Built in 1967, the Ken Soble Tower is the oldest high-rise multi-residential building in CityHousing Hamilton’s portfolio and has been in decline for several years. After considering several options, CityHousing opted to retrofit the building, making significant improvements at a fraction of the cost of a new build. With its...

Read More
News & Events

Three New Principals and Expanding Leadership at ERA

by ERA Architects

...newest Principals at ERA.  Victoria heads up our Ottawa office and is a practice lead, with expertise in cultural landscape analysis and values-based conservation planning. An art historian with a graduate degree in heritage conservation, Victoria has experience in the private, public, and academic sectors.  Jan leads our Montreal office and specializes in adaptive reuse, preservation and restoration projects. With 20 years...

Read More

Canada Hair Cloth

by ERA Architects

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 cost and direct the restoration...

Read More

Toronto House Transformation

by ERA Architects

...As part of a broader discussion on the exceptional house transformations of Toronto, below is a series of photos that exhibit different storefront types found in the city.   The Signboard: Minor changes allow the house to be reused. The original building remains largely untouched as signs are installed marking the introduction of a business. The Awning and Display: Low-cost...

Read More

Infrastructure: new vision for Ontario

by ERA Architects

...projects. If passed, the Act will help Ontario approach its infrastructure projects from a perspective that is not only concerned with meeting functional criteria at minimum cost, but also with the bigger picture of long-term city-building. Read comments from ERA’s Michael McClelland here. To read more on the proposed Act, see Ontario’s official website. To read Christopher Hume’s perspective in...

Read More