In Vancouver B.C., a construction management firm is putting a welcoming face to the otherwise stark and redundant look of a construction site office. Boasting an organic look and feel to the mobile office space, Powers Construction’s design is more appealing to the community and their site staff in terms of looks, comfort and function. Read why here Canadian Architect.
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With wood construction mid-rise buildings becoming more and more “de rigeur”, the race is on to see which building will be completed first to gain the recognition as the tallest modern mass timber building in Canada.
77 Wade is the newest building in the running to produce a beautiful commercial space using this ever growing trend. Read the article here from Canadian Architect.
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A new downtown market is being erected at Bathurst and Lakeshore which will be a temporary home for retail stores, restaurants and bars. The space which is currently slated by the city to be turned into a large downtown park and recreational area, has been leased for a 2 year period to Stackd, in the interim. The market will be made up entirely of shipping containers which are easy to install and easy to demobilize once the lease is terminated. We are looking forward to browsing this innovative space to see how it “stackts” up. Find out more here
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It seems Toronto has been enjoying it’s share of infamy as “the city with the most of many things”. Our newest Number One accolade is that Toronto has recently been ranked first in North America for the amount of cranes swinging in our busy sky. More info can be found here
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Certain topics re-appear in this blog as their importance and significance to the city ebbs and flows. One such subject matter is City Council’s debate over the issue of allowing Laneway Housing to proceed from wishful thinking to rubber-stamping. As Edward Keenan of the Toronto Star reported on June 6, 2018, it would appear that the city is within striking distance of council approval and, as the motion has been put forward the anticipation is building.
While not a cure-all for the rental crisis, it is a step in the right direction allowing homeowners to renovate and re-purpose dilapidated and unused sheds and garages into viable rental units. Not only does this benefit the owners in gaining income to help pay their own living expenses, but offers diverse options to mid-income renters in search of a neighborhood dynamic. Breathing new life into often times run-down garages and out-buildings, seems to be a win-win situation for owners and prospective tenants alike. And thankfully, City Council appears poised to push the button. Read more here
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In the May 11th edition of Now Magazine, Kelly Boutsalis reports on how colleges are working to diversify the student population enrolled in construction related industries. In a predominantly male dominated industry, colleges such as George Brown and Fleming as well as community-based initiatives funded by organizations like the Central Ontario Building Trades (COBT) are reaching out to women, visible minorities and indigenous people to fill what will soon become a large void in the industry. The programs are beginning to gain popularity with women who value the job security and financial gains they could provide. For the whole story and information on the programs, click here
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Fresh on the heels of George Brown’s announcement of the construction of a new tall wood, low carbon, institutional building to add to their campus, U of T has just announced their plans to build a wood and concrete structure at their Bloor street campus. The 14 storey building is slated to be the tallest of its kind in North America and plans are in the works to commence construction as early as 2019. Find out more here.
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The redevelopment of the Toronto Eaton Centre continues with the recent announcement of the restoration and renovation of the historic corner building at 2 Queen Street West. The owners, Cadillac Fairview, have committed to restoring this beautiful 1880’s building in addition to adding 3 more storeys to the structure which will house, among other commercial businesses, a new restaurant and outdoor terrace. For more on the upcoming renovation work, click here
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It appears the long-awaited pedestrian/bike bridge linking Liberty Village and King is on track to commence construction this summer, with completion slated for summer 2019. The pedestrian/bicycle friendly bridge is the long-awaited dream of residents who currently have to walk a significant distance to connect up with King. The bridge will cut a current 20-minute trek down to about 3 minutes. Assuming that no further red tape gets in the way, residents and businesses alike can look forward to a more reasonable access route coming and going from the Liberty Village neighbourhood. For more on the bridge, click here
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We love reporting updates on our Beech House project and this one is particularly newsworthy. The second floor slab has been poured which effectively completes the YMCA portion of the structural build. From here on, the condominium floors will rise rapidly above as The Beech House residential units take shape. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook page for more exciting updates on the project.
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