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Kensington Market Lofts Presents a Gateway of Colour to the Neighbourhood

by ERA Architects

...of the percentage of colours present in the world’s national flags. The significance of the approach is that the material sits comfortably within its bohemian context. It was important to pursue a strategy that did not feel out of place with the vibrant coloured awnings and shops spilling out onto the street. The project has embodied its physical location, facing...

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Erik Freudenthal of Sweden

by ERA Architects

This April, ERA was pleased to co-host a special presentation by Erik Freudenthal, the Director of Information for Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm. In his discussion of this innovative “Symbiocity” approach to urban development, Erik demonstrated that low-carbon, sustainable communities really are achievable given a) the proper commitment and b) the appropriate strategies for material and resource management. The event also brought...

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News & Events

The Signs That Define Toronto: A new book from ERA and Spacing 

by Kurt Kraler

...In both of these instances, what became apparent was the significance of the signs themselves and how they often define otherwise unremarkable building facades.  The Signs That Define Toronto is an attempt to document the culture of the city through its signs. Cities are shaped by their signage, from the iconic signs that dominate the streetscape to the more modest...

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An Award-Winning Heritage Week

by ERA Architects

...2017. The transformation included improved spaces for performance, new wings for audience and presentation events, and a new entrance on Elgin Street with a glazed addition wrapping around the north side of the complex. ERA served as Heritage Conservation Advisor for Diamond Schmitt Architects on the project, developing a Heritage Conservation Approach report, which outlined the architectural, historical, and cultural...

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Gemini House in the Globe

by ERA Architects

In a recent article in the Globe & Mail, Dave LeBlanc explains how Gemini House provides a new, sustainable model for heritage homes. The Gemini NTED approach, developed by U of T’s Kim Pressnail and Ryerson’s Russell Richman, is a new way to engineer low-energy housing. The idea is to put a box within a box, separating the home into...

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Jerome Markson: Houses and Housing 1955-1980

by ERA Architects

...words, from 1981: In all of our work we constantly attempt to produce a solution which respects a site, street or ambiance worth respecting, to reflect a client’s needs with warmth and humanness and to recognize that no single solution or architectural approach handles all problems. While striving for innovative design and the use of appropriate construction techniques and materials,...

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Passive House: A new way of working with existing buildings

by ERA Architects

...buildings and their surrounding areas into more sustainable, resilient and healthy places. This alignment is one of the reasons we were drawn to the Passive House standard and its applicability to our tower renewal portfolio. Passive House is an ultra-low carbon standard which is focused on human comfort and air quality. It’s a natural fit for tower renewal, which aims...

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Hamilton Heritage Inventory

by ERA Architects

...or Historical Interest (within the area bounded by Wellington, Queen, Hunter, and Cannon streets). A preliminary assessment of the heritage value of these properties is also being carried out. It is intended that the DBHI methodology be applicable at a citywide level to the remaining 6000+ properties on the city’s inventory. The approach that has been developed for the DBHI...

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The Lost Craft of Tuck Pointing

by ERA Architects

...gives the illusion of finely pointed gauged brickwork on principal facades. It helped give the impression of quality to buildings constructed of damaged or irregular bricks. When laid in the normal manner of the day, such bricks produced walls with wide joints of irregular and uneven pattern which appear the sum of their constituent parts rather than as a coherent...

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Sabina Ali & Graeme Stewart Speak to ‘Modern Tower Blocks and the 21st Century City’

by ERA Architects

...of life amid dwindling resources. Toronto’s Tower block urbanism is ubiquitous, complex and contentious in nature for its physical and cultural landscape. Conservation solutions refuse to be pigeonholed, requiring a multifaceted and customized approach. The Tower Renewal initiative is nimble and dynamic in approach, successfully and sensitively addressing each project as separate and unique. Promotional poster Photo credit: Chloë Ellingson...

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The Legacy Lives On: Hamilton’s Built Heritage Inventory as an emerging practice in historic urban landscape stewardship

by ERA Architects

ERA Associate Victoria Angel’s article in Plan Magazine’s Winter Issue ‘Urban heritage: A living legacy’ on the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Recommendation (2011) illustrates its implications and emerging practices, using the City of Hamilton’s Built Heritage Inventory as a case-study. The recommendation encourages a more holistic, integrative approach to urban heritage conservation, focusing on the urban landscape. It proposes...

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CUG+R at Urban Design London

by ERA Architects

...organization that connects design practitioners and provides up to date information about policy, research, and best practice. They will have an opportunity to present the vision of Tower Renewal across the Province of Ontario and learn about other approaches being taken in cities around the world. Discussions will include experts from multiple disciplines, and topics will range from estate regeneration...

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