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Landscape and Urban Design

John Street Square _ Competition Winner Announced

by ERA Architects , January 19, 2011

Coryn Kempster and Julia Jamrozik’s proposal for an ‘Urban Ballroom’ has won the Ideas Competition for the John Street Square, located at the corner of John and King. The competition was sponsored by the Entertainment District Business Improvement Association, and is an element of the proposed John Street Cultural Corridor. ERA developed the idea for...

The scale of the Hearn

by admin , January 14, 2011

As recent public attention has focused on heritage structures under threat – a result of the destruction of the ex-Empress Hotel – we thought it would be of value to illustrate exactly how big the R.L. Hearn Generating Station actually is. Originally built in 1951 as a coal-burning power plant, the Hearn is, quite simply,...

Loblaws Lakeshore

by ERA Architects , January 11, 2011

The Financial Post has a small feature on the Loblaws Groceteria building at Lakeshore and Bathust. ERA are consulting as Heritage Architects on the developing project. Though Loblaws had no comment for the story, local developer Paul Oberman described the project eloquently: “I think that’s what heritage preservation is all about. It’s adaptive reuse: breathing...

Welcome to the Brickworks

by ERA Architects , January 6, 2011

Each year, the AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students) hosts a Forum offering architecture students from across North America an opportunity to gather in celebration of the profession. This year, Ryerson University hosted the Forum in Toronto and welcomed approximately 900 eager American students to Canada’s largest metropolis. ERA participated in this year’s Forum by...

John Street Square _ Design Competition Finalists

by ERA Architects , November 18, 2010

The five finalists for the John Street Square Design Ideas Competition have been revealed on-line. It is now up to you to vote for your favorite redesign of this important but underutilized public space at the strategic intersection of King and John Streets. Voting closes on January 9th, 2011, but until then you’re allowed to...

Maple Leaf Gardens _ Heritage Interpretation Plan

by ERA Architects , October 30, 2010

Alexandra Studio Fonds; 1257, series 1057, item 4737 Built in 1931, Maple Leaf Gardens quickly became a social and cultural hub in the city, and it is no overstatement to say that the wide variety of events held there over the ensuing decades influenced the cultural development of the nation. Best known as the home...

The Brick Works _ from academia to practice

by ERA Architects , October 10, 2010

Here at ERA, we seek to operate at the fine and blurred line between the realms of theory and practice. Two ERAers are currently teaching design studios at the Daniels School of Architecture at the University of Toronto, and a number of employees in the office have been able to continue working on large-scale projects...

The Allenby, to the Roxy, to the Allenby

by ERA Architects , August 16, 2010

With the historic marquee now back in place, the Allenby has been catching a good bit of attention recently. From Christopher Hume’s piece Tim does its bit on the Danforth, in the Toronto Star: Cleaned up and nicely restored, the Allenby looks better than it has in years. The 1930s art deco movie house is...

City (hall) building

by ERA Architects , August 2, 2010

City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1268, Item 462 June 22, 1964. Now that’s a public project.

Landscape and Urban Design

The future of Ontario Place

by ERA Architects , July 26, 2010

Mark Medley had a piece in the Saturday Post exploring the future of Ontario Place. He quotes a number of local practitioners, including ERA’s Michael McClelland. Perhaps we should revisit the past when deciding the future. Michael McClelland of E.R.A. Architects thinks we should look at Zeidler’s original blueprint. “My hope would be that they’d...

Narrow Streets

by ERA Architects , June 20, 2010

David Yoon has produced a series of retouched photographs illustrating how streets in LA would look and feel at imaginary, narrower widths. One might also think of them as a very effective demonstration of urban priorities – the built reality of the North American prioritization of the automobile versus human-scale livability. See more at his...

79 years later.

by ERA Architects , April 25, 2010

As Yogi Berra said; ‘it’s like deja vu all over again’.

Oleleshwa Primary School, Ewaso Ngiro, Kenya

by admin , December 9, 2009

This week’s Wednesday Design Forum looked at a project being developed outside of the office. Alec Ring, an assistant architect here at ERA, and his colleague Karl Sarkis presented a design they have been developing for Oleleshua Primary School in Ewaso Ngiro, Kenya. The funding to build the school is through Harambee 4 Humanity a...

Artscape Wychwood Barns

by ERA Architects , September 20, 2009

Wychwood Barns under (re)construction Grand opening weekend A collection of street car barns constructed between 1913-21, the Wychwood Barns are the oldest surviving carhouses built as part of the Toronto Civic Railway, a transportation system with a significant role in the development of the annexed areas in the City of Toronto. When completed, the facility...

Tower Renewal

by admin , November 3, 2008

Toronto mayor David Miller gives push for plan to retrofit of post-war towers Photograph taken by Jesse Jackson Please follow the link to read the full article written by Ian Harvey that was featured in the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record. Toronto mayor David Miller gives push for plan to retrofit of post-war towers

Tower Renewal

by admin , September 2, 2008

On September 2nd the Executive Committee at the City of Toronto unanimously passed the Mayor’s Report on Tower Renewal as well as the Opportunities Book, prepared for the City of Toronto by ERA Architects and the City of Toronto. For more information, visit Toronto Tower Renewal

Apartment Buildings to Recieve Energy Retrofit

by admin , June 12, 2008

June 12, 2008 – http://www.thestar.com/article/441778

Green Arts Barns Recieves $3 Million

by admin , February 2, 2007

On January 30, 2007 the Honourable Caroline Di Cocco, Minister of Culture announced that the Government of Ontario will invest $3 million in the Artscape Green Arts Barns to redevelop the historic Wychwood TTC streetcar repair barns, in the St. Clair and Bathurst neighbourhood into a 61,000 sq ft multi-tenant arts and environmental centre run...