Adaptive Reuse, Accessibility & Additions
Spotlight
1 Spadina Crescent
Originally home to Knox College, and eventually occupied by one of the world’s first insulin manufacturers and a military hospital, the Gothic Revival building at 1 Spadina Crescent has a rich history and is a major city landmark, terminating views north from Spadina Avenue. ERA worked with NADAAA between 2011 and 2017 to oversee the...
Bridgepoint Health: The Old Don Jail
Completed in 1864, the Old Don Jail was the last work of one of Canada’s most respected early architects, William Thomas, and the largest building project in Toronto’s history at the time. Like much of Thomas’s late work, the jail was conceived in the Renaissance Revival style popular during the mid-1800s which draws inspiration from...
Deer Park Church
The Deer Park Presbyterian Church building was designed by Sharp and Brown Architects and completed in 1912, with later additions in 1931 and 1961. The congregation vacated and deconsecrated the church in 2008, and a redevelopment process was initiated in 2010, with approval in 2015. Designated under part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in...
The University of Toronto’s FitzGerald Building
The University of Toronto’s FitzGerald Building is a 1927 Georgian Revival-style heritage building situated on the south end of St. George Campus. Originally built as a state-of-the-art facility for the Faculty of Medicine and the newly created Connaught Laboratories, the uses have subsequently moved to other locations. ERA was engaged as the heritage architect for...
University College Quadrangle
The revitalization of the University College Quadrangle updated the 1964 Michael Hough-designed courtyard to expand its use and create a more inclusive space for students. ERA worked closely with the project’s landscape architect to ensure intervention strategies for the important campus landmark were sensitive and complementary to the heritage context. A main priority was improving...
St. James-The-Less: Building Upgrades
The Chapel of St. James-the-Less, situated within the grounds of St. James’ Cemetery, is a significant example of Gothic Revival architecture. Designed by the notable architectural firm Cumberland and Storm in 1857, it was designated a National Historic Site in 1990 because of its architectural quality and siting. The chapel underwent a significant adaptation in...
Rehabilitation of the West Memorial Building
The West Memorial Building (WMB) was constructed from 1954 to 1958, following the construction of its sister building, the East Memorial Building (EMB), which is a mirror image. Together with the EMB and the Memorial Colonnade, which links the two buildings, the West Memorial Building was designated as a Classified Federal Heritage Building in 1992....
1495 Heron Road Redevelopment Master Plan
Canada Lands Company (CLC) is developing a new mixed-use urban community in Ottawa. The 18-acre (7.3-hectare) site located at 1495 Heron Road, also referred to as the Campanile Campus, is located on unceded Algonquin traditional territory within the Guildwood Estates neighbourhood in the Alta Vista community. ERA was engaged as a cultural heritage consultant to...
The Historic Dominion Hotel
The historic Dominion Hotel building has seen significant changes since its construction in 1890, including a fire that destroyed the fourth storey. Torontonians will recognize it as the Dominion Pub, an east-end landmark with red bricks and elaborate sandstone features at the corner of Queen Street East and Sumach Street. ERA was engaged to redesign...
First Narayever Synagogue
First Narayever Congregation is downtown Toronto’s largest and longest-standing shul, supporting the City’s Jewish community for over 100 years. The Congregation holds strong egalitarian values supported by an ethos of openness, social justice, equality, and universal accessibility. The First Narayever building was originally a modest 1890s Foresters Hall converted to support religious practice by the...
Case Goods Warehouse
The Case Goods and Cannery buildings are an integral component of Toronto’s Distillery District and reflect the industrial heritage and architectural character of the 19th-century distillery operations in the city. Now home to Collège Boréal, an educational and cultural hub for Ontario’s Francophone communities, the Case Goods Warehouse and 3rd floor of the Cannery were...
2 Queen Street West
2 Queen Street West has served shoppers on the corner of Yonge and Queen since its construction in 1895. Designed in the Renaissance Revival style in a rare partnership between Samuel Curry and Francis S. Baker, the building first opened as the P. Jamieson Clothier Outfitter. It was eventually surrounded by the rise of the...
Clovelly Cottage
Adjacent to the open expanse of Georgian Bay, three modest cabins were dramatically transformed to enhance the qualities of their island setting. The primary cabin’s kitchen replaced a covered porch dramatically opening the main living space. An addition provided a utility room, washroom, and mudroom, while a timber-framed screened porch, and a large, glazed sitting...
The Webster (121 Scollard)
The three-storey brick building at 121 Scollard Street is designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, as part of the Yorkville-Hazelton Heritage Conservation District. The building was constructed c.1900 as semidetached units and developed by Leeds Sheppard, a prominent landowner in Yorkville. In the 1950s, the building was transformed into one unit. Fast...
