Adaptive Reuse, Accessibility & Additions

The Lang Tannery site is an industrial complex that occupies 5.5 acres on two city blocks in the designated warehouse district of the city of Kitchener. It contains approximately fifteen interconnected industrial buildings from one to five storeys in height built between c. 1896 and 1956. The Lang Tannery complex is a significant landmark. It...

The Heritage Theatre, formally the Capital Theatre, has a long history within the city of Brampton. Built in 1923 to feature silent movies and then transformed into a performance theatre, it has a long legacy in being host to up-and-coming stars. The construction of the new Performing Arts Centre nearby marked the development of Brampton’s...

The Drake Hotel is a cultural landmark within Toronto’s Art and Design District. In 2001, the original 1890’s building at Beaconsfield and Queen Street West was reinvented into a unique mixed-use hub where sleeping, dining, nightlife, concerts, retail, and art events collide. Continuing on this success, the Drake Hotel is growing to include the storefront...

Allandale Station is located along the southeastern edge of the city of Barrie, Ontario. Designed by the Detroit architectural firm of Spier and Rohns for the Grand Trunk Railway, the complex consists of three discreet but connected turn-of-the-19th-century buildings. Completed in 1905, the architects combined the dominant characteristics of modern railway architecture with Italianate style...

ERA provided a Heritage Impact Statement and Conservation and Restoration Plan for a high-end 48-storey residential condominium development above the neo-Gothic inspired former McLaughlin Motors Building. Designed by Hutton and Souter Architects and constructed in 1925, the City of Toronto designated the property in December 1999. The building was methodically dismantled stone by stone, removed...

The Canadian Film Centre is located on a 1930’s neo-Georgian estate of one of Canada’s leading businessmen, the late E.P. Taylor. The estate comprises many buildings including a gatehouse, stables and gardener’s cottage set in a formalized landscape. The cultural significance of the site and associated buildings relates to the continued progression of the Canadian...

The Gooderham and Worts Historic District is a National Historic Site and former home to the largest distillery in Canada. The complex is a remarkable example of an intact Victorian industrial property. Particular buildings of interest include the Stone Distillery and the Maltings. ERA is the Architect-of-Record for the overall project and Heritage Architect for...

The Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology, a National Historic Site and a Civil and Power Engineering Landmark, was designed by Thomas Coltrin Keefer and built by the City of Hamilton from 1856-1859. The Pumphouse and Pumping Station are designated by the City of Hamilton under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The property...

Recognized as a National Historic Site, Maple Leaf Gardens was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club until 1999 and served as a hub of civic life continuously since it opened in 1931. The arena hosted a wide variety of large-scale public gatherings, from operas to political rallies. It is one the oldest and...

Located along the central spine of the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus, the Rotman School of Management needed to expand to accommodate growing programming, student body, and faculty. The expansion of the school incorporated the designated heritage building known as the John Downey House at 97 St. George. Additional classroom, faculty, and student spaces...

As part of the adaptive reuse of the historic block at Yonge and St. Joseph Streets, the FIVE Condos project at 5 St. Joseph celebrates the area’s commercial heritage, while creating a mix of new uses to enhance and rejuvenate this diverse, urban neighbourhood. The project includes half a block of designated heritage buildings between...

The Bishop’s Block, a designated heritage property, was built circa 1829. It is considered one of the oldest buildings left in Toronto’s downtown core. Originally consisting of five upscale Georgian row houses, the Block housed the Adelaide Hotel in the early 20th century and more recently the popular Pretzel Bell Tavern. By 2005 the building...