Building Conservation
Spotlight
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...
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...
Snider House
Snider House, originally built in 1828, is the oldest surviving building in North Toronto and was designated a heritage property in 1979. Over nearly two centuries, the one-and-a-half-storey brick cottage has undergone numerous alterations, gradually evolving alongside its surroundings, from rural to urban. The most recent renovation was carefully designed by GPA, with ERA advising...
Charles Levey House
In collaboration with Tricon, ERA has completed its redevelopment with an innovative approach that conserves and reintegrates the historic south façade of 6–8 Gloucester into a new mixed-use development. The semi-detached Victorian building was constructed in 1869, nearly two decades before the iconic Gloucester Mews (originally the Masonic Hall Buildings) were built just to the...
The Royal Hotel
The Royal Hotel has been a landmark in Picton since 1881, a Victorian-era hub for travellers and community life in Prince Edward County. After decades of decline, the building faced significant degradation, threatening its historic presence on Main Street. The revitalization project aimed to rehabilitate the three-story heritage building while adapting it for contemporary use....
Pilkington Glass Complex
In 2010, ERA’s heritage planning services were engaged for the redevelopment of 15–35 Mercer Street, a downtown site of three heritage buildings that housed the Pilkington Glass Company from 1895 to 1969. Following a lengthy approvals process, the final plan included the partial retention and adaptive reuse of all three heritage buildings, integrating them into...
Drug Trading Company Building
Constructed between 1942 and 1946, the Drug Trading Company office building at 25 Ontario Street features a brick and stone façade designed by Margison and Babcock Engineers. Their façade design reflects both Art Deco and Streamline Moderne influences. In 2011, ERA was engaged to oversee the heritage planning and approvals process for the building’s adaptive...
Pickering Museum Village
The Pickering Museum Village is one of Ontario’s largest community museums, featuring 19 heritage structures spread across 25 acres along Duffins Creek in the city’s east end. Between 2023-2024, ERA, working with Tacoma Engineering and B.A. Construction, undertook the rehabilitation of two heritage buildings, which had been previously relocated to the site: the Log Barn,...
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...
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...
Canada Malting Silo
The iconic Canada Malting Silos have stood at the western entrance to Toronto’s harbour for nearly 100 years but have been out of use since the 1980s. Together with the City of Toronto, Brook Restoration, and Moon-Matz Engineers, ERA worked to transform the former industrial site into a new civic and cultural landmark. The Canada...
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...
