Building Conservation

For much of Toronto’s history, the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus has existed as a distinct area at the centre of the city. This institutional urban landscape encompasses the University, its federated universities and colleges, and Ontario’s seat of government, among other institutions. Its early establishment and patterns of land ownership have shaped the...

The 1969 high rise apartment at 100 Spadina Road contributes to a body of distinctive modernist work by Estonian-born Canadian architect Uno Prii. Intrigued by the dynamic formal possibilities of reinforced concrete, Prii used his dual engineering and architectural training to create graceful, curvalinear forms that maximized their structural potential. Similar to a number of...

The Church of the Redeemer is an important landmark at the corner of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. Built in 1879, this historic building was designed in the Gothic revival style. ERA has been working with the church since 2008, when ERA prepared a Condition Assessment and Conservation Plan. Following this, ERA worked closely...

Toronto’s King Edward Hotel (“The King Eddy”) opened in May 1903 as the city’s first “palace hotel” to rival hotels in New York and London and boasted “absolutely fireproof” construction. Two notable architects, American Henry Ives Cobb and Toronto’s E.J. Lennox, were responsible for the design of the original 8-storey hotel building, which features a...

A landmark in Toronto’s industrial Junction Triangle neighbourhood, the Tower Automotive Building was designed by architect John W. Woodman in collaboration with C.A.P Turner. Completed in 1920, the Sterling Road building is an early example of flat slab construction in Toronto, with ‘mushroom’ columns, whose distinct appearance are integral to both the design of the...

The designated Thomas G. Elgie House, is the oldest of three residential buildings in Leaside that predate its incorporation as a town in 1913. Although altered in the 20th century, the original building remains, however the south elevation’s red brick walls and 19th century detailing were concealed by an addition. As part of a conservation...

The Drake Devonshire Inn is located in the pastoral Prince Edward County town of Wellington, Ontario. ERA was engaged as architect of record, collaborating with the Drake Hotel and interior designer John Tong of +tongtong inc. to refurbish the century-old Devonshire Inn, integrate it into the landscape, and take advantage of the striking views to Lake...

St. James’ Parish House, as it was originally known, is an important piece of the St. James’ Cathedral campus, one of the defining historical properties of Toronto’s old town. The Parish House, completed in 1909, was designed by well-known Toronto architects Darling and Pearson, and is an excellent example of Neo-Gothic style. The Diocesan Centre, adjoined...

Trinity Bellwoods Park was formerly part of a large swath of military reserve around the nascent Town of York, founded in 1791. In 1851, Bishop John Strachan purchased the land as the site for the original Trinity College. This building was completed in 1852, and all that remains of it are the gates we see...

This monumental building in Old Montreal, completed in 1926, was designed by Ernest Cormier, Louis-Auguste Amos, and Charles J. Saxe. Cormier, known for his fine design work and decidedly modern approach to architecture, also designed l’Université de Montréal; St. Michael’s College School, Toronto; the Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa; and Cormier House, which served fo several...

The Hermant Building at 19 Dundas Square, designed by Bond & Smith Architects in 1913, is an early and excellent surviving example of terracotta cladding in Toronto. When it was completed, this 10-storey building was the tallest in the city, and a significant landmark. The Hermant Building originally housed the headquarters of Imperial Optical which at...

The Hermant Building at 21 Dundas Square was designed by Benjamin Brown in 1929. Benjamin Brown is historically significant as the first practicing Jewish architect in Toronto. The 15-storey art-deco-inspired building is a significant landmark at Dundas Square. As part of a 40-storey mixed-use redevelopment designed by Diamond Schmidt, ERA has been working as heritage...