Recreation

Originally constructed in 1922, Fire Hall No. 30 was part of a wave of fire halls that were built in response to Toronto’s rapid growth and the development of its eastern waterfront industrial district. It is a notable example of the Edwardian Classical style that characterized the early institutional buildings along Toronto’s waterfront. Fire Hall...

Located in the historic centre of the Town of Aurora, the former Church Street School (built 1885-86) is a two-storey yellow brick school building designed by architect Thomas Kennedy. The schoolhouse, one of the finest remaining examples of a High Victorian-designed public school in Ontario, is a dominant landmark structure in the community that contributes to Aurora’s period streetscape and the neighbourhood character. As part...

In the heart of the Village of Creemore, an underutilized park and adjacent building were transformed into a cultural landmark and vibrant green space. Initiated by a local advocacy group, ERA worked with them to reach their vision by shepherding a public consultation program, including extensive research, community engagement, and preliminary design work. Over two...

Waawaatesi, which means “firefly” in Anishinaabemowin, is a vibrant new public park coming to 229 Richmond Street West. The winning design was selected from a two-stage design competition and evaluated by a jury of experts in landscape architecture, architecture, urban design, art, curation, climate resilience, and Indigenous design. The Jury’s decision was also informed by...

The Firgrove Dreams Big Courts are the first Giants of Africa basketball courts in Toronto and ERA’s sixth collaboration with the MLSE Foundation. The revitalized courts at Firgrove Park, in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood, highlight the impact of strategic partnerships, bringing together public and corporate partners to help advance community access to quality recreational...

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 100-acre Anderson-Brighthouse farmstead contains a farmhouse and barn built in 1867, a series of out buildings, and an eight-acre clearing nestled amongst a dense forest. After a successful interior renovation of the farmhouse, the owners engaged ERA as lead architects to convert the barn into a 100-person multi-purpose event space, that, according to the...

The Our London Family Courts is a community-led initiative in London, Ontario, in partnership with the City of London, MLSE Foundation, the Toronto Raptors, and local Muslim organizations. The focal points of the site are two upgraded courts in West Lions Park that seamlessly integrate basketball play, landscape seating, lighting, barbeques, and a court surface...

Sunnybrook evolved from its origin in 1948 as Sunnybrook Military Hospital into an internationally recognized health sciences centre and home to Canada’s largest veterans’ care facility. Originally designed as a gateway monument framing the entrance to Sunnybrook Military Hospital, the Sunnybrook Cenotaph today is a fixture in the hospital’s identity for passersby on Bayview Avenue...

The Sheguiandah First Nation Community Court is a groundbreaking community-led project situated at the heart of the Sheguiandah First Nation on Manitoulin Island (Mnidoo Mnising). As the project’s landscape architect, ERA Architects collaborated with Anishnaabe artist Emily Kewageshing in revitalizing an existing deteriorated sports court into a dynamic place for all ages to play, gather,...

Relic Linear Park is a community-led vision developed by The Grange Community Association in partnership with the City of Toronto and Campbell House Museum. Guided by the Grange Green Plan and the Relic Park Prospectus, the Relic Linear Park System is an innovative public realm enhancement project in the Grange Park neighbourhood that upgrades existing...

plazaPOPS is a non-profit organization that facilitates the transformation of parking lots and other under-invested spaces through temporary “pop-up” installations. Largely working along suburban main streets, plazaPOPS partners with local community groups, landowners, and businesses through a collaborative design process to support and celebrate the community connections and vital small businesses in these areas. After...