Category Archives: Toronto Soft Lofts
In Toronto’s west end, modern homes of a human scale
Lisa Rochon – From Saturday’s Globe and Mail
Toronto is an architecturally submissive city, happy to take whatever design is laid over it. The British delivered the elegant but often pinched bay-and-gable Victorian row house to our military grid. In the 1960s and ’70s, there was the blitz of rugged concrete or brick-clad apartment towers. And, more recently, curtain-wall towers came at us like an unstoppable army of glass soldiers. At street level, in three- and four-storey housing developments, there’s been little of architectural interest for the home-buying, design-savvy public.
Slowly, thankfully, that’s changing. In Toronto’s west end, there’s a finely tuned, human-scaled condominium arrangement of lofts and townhomes – totalling just 20 units – set to be constructed at 850 Richmond St. W., just south of Trinity Bellwoods Park. The neighbourhood is a wildly uneven cacophony of tiny workman cottages set next to high-end lighting boutiques and bargain-basement rental housing.
The opening of a hot yoga studio at the corner of Wellington and Bathurst and a 10-storey politely-designed condo signalled all-out gentrification. But, because the area falls outside of the downtown’s designated urban-growth area, permits for dense, tall developments are rare. That means a modest lunch bar and grill tucked behind a heavy tree canopy can still happily co-exist next to a ruby-red Buddhist temple.
Not even the deadly dull housing development allowed, inexcusably, to replace the vast Massey complex of factories north of King Street West has poisoned the atmosphere. So far, this west-end enclave has kept its curious spirit intact.
But housing options here – like elsewhere in Toronto – have been limited to Victorian, neo-Victorian and postage stamps. That’s why, with the arrival of Edition Richmond, designed by Berkeley-and-Harvard-trained architect Gianpiero Pugliese of AUDAX (Latin for bold), the neighbourhood is about to receive some contemporary design meat.
Mr. Pugliese, together with urban developers Gary Eisen and Adam Ochshorn of Curated Properties, has devised a residential architecture roomy enough for families. There are thoughtful gestures to help where an abundance of natural light was lacking: A shaft descends the entire length of the three-storey units, so that light infuses even the shower stall.
With operable windows and balconies, the upper units facing onto Richmond are what Mr. Pugliese refers to as sky lofts. “What I find interesting about this project and others happening in this city is that this is a new type of infill housing,” he says. “It doesn’t fit the conventional model of a high-rise condo that’s everywhere in the city.”
Most of the condo units have rooftop gardens, with a protective frame over an outdoor daybed, that hint at the arbours on the terraces of exclusive hotels. The arches create framed views of the city and are constructed of metal panels with wood louvres to act as filtering screens. “They speak to the idea of human architecture and human scale – they provide shelter and they become a larger icon for the building,” says the 35-year-old Mr. Pugliese.
In keeping with what you might expect in the neighbourhood, the multi-unit white-brick building replaces an old transmission repair shop. There is another one still happily humming across the street. A Centre for Addiction and Mental Health research unit sits down the street.
There is also, however, the promise of conversation between two well-crafted, low-scale contemporary developments: Across the narrow street, there’s an elegant and modern interpretation of the Toronto row house, designed by Core Architects, that uses large frames in Ipe wood and charcoal brick to accentuate the contemporary window treatments.
“Everybody wants modern design now. It’s catching up. The challenge is how do you not beat it to death,” says Mr. Pugliese.
For more on design and architecture from around the world, follow Lisa Rochon’s blog, chasinghome.org.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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The loftification of Lower Ossington
Alexandra Grigorescu – blogTO
The loftification of Lower Ossington has been in the works for some time. The wealth of derelict storefronts and boarded up buildings have been ripe for the plucking, and the shift from the old guard to the tall, glass-and-concrete boxes in the sky has local residents and business owners divided.
I have nothing against the city’s love affair with loft-condo hybrids. In fact, I’d one day like one. But the new Toronto condos are seemingly marketed towards out-of-towners looking to capitalize on the stereotype of a given neighborhood, and it chafes me. 109OZ claims to be “undeniably Ossington,” but Paul Ferguson of the Communist’s Daughter rightly asks what that means. Is it the old Ossington, respectful of the area’s cultural heritage and sense of community, or is the new Ossington, hurriedly heading towards gentrification?
He also acknowledges how difficult it is to turn down a cash fallout of the sort that old businesses courted by lofts can expect. Paul notes the difference between “conscious gentrification and wholesome interest” – many lofts capitulate too readily on a community’s personality as a “cash grab,” but he hopes that the old Ossington won’t be lost in the mix.
Not that there’s anything wrong with capitalism and revenue. Ricky, a long-time area resident, thinks the entreat of high-priced lofts will hike up property prices in the area – good news for property owners, including the area’s elderly Portuguese community, but potentially bad news for renters. Ricky also suggests the stores that have remained boarded up for so long were an eyesore and the lofts promise to be an aesthetic boost. In particular, 2 Ossington had fallen into shambles and marked an unfortunate entry onto a street ripe with galleries and restaurants.
Gentrification is a double-edged sword. It brings in money and clientele while potentially sacrificing the historical elements of a neighborhood. As I ventured along the street trying to get a sense of locals’ reaction, I expected someone to bemoan the blotting of the sun, construction noise, and other related concerns but everyone was fairly positive about the cosmetic element of the lofts. That might change once construction begins in earnest.
Here’s a closer look at the lofts currently under development.
Motif Lofts (41 Ossington Ave)
Motif bought out the former site of Hesco Electric Supply Company, and is starting construction on a mixed-housing development that includes 19 lofts over four stories, a ground floor aimed towards commercial endeavors, and five town homes. The now sold-out lofts are set to offer industrial ceilings and open space, while 6 town homes will stretch down Rebecca St. with glass, steel and wood exteriors and loft-inspired interiors. A collection of four freehold town homes are planned further down Rebecca St. The website capitalizes on the cache of the neighborhood, while pointing to “kitschy” store names. The Ossington Village website cheekily notes that “At least they didn’t call it HipsterVille.”
109OZ Lofts (109 Ossington Ave)
109OZ took over the former home of Mundial Auto Repairs and a private Portuguese club in the heart of Ossington Ave. This 6-story boutique loft structure will contain approximately 90 units, and is slated to be the ultimate in nouveau-loft-chic with a focus on glass, brick, and metal and featuring east-facing terraces and glass balconies. Pre-construction prices are advertised as beginning in the upper $200,000s – a surprisingly modest sum for Toronto. The website isn’t forthcoming with further details, as pre-sale hasn’t yet launched, but their marketing materials point to “Inspired Lofts. Undeniably Ossington.” and features vibrant splashes of color. You won’t find a sales centre until mid to late April, but when I spoke to the sales team, they mentioned that Mundial had happily sold and moved to Keele and Rogers Road.
2 Ossington Lofts (2 Ossington Ave.)
Presented by NDS Properties Limited and SMV Architects, 2 Ossington transforms a space previously inhabited by a half-way house for recovering CAMH patients, into an 18-unit construction, divided into nine 1-story and nine 2-story soft lofts with terraces, and retail space on the ground floor. There’ll be no recreational amenities, but high-ceilings, energy efficient features, open duct work, and stainless steel appliances come standard. The project is completely sold out, but an automated voicemail hints at new projects in the area.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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Ask an Expert: Laurin Jeffrey, real estate agent
Toronto’s Laurin Jeffrey is real estate agent with a fondness for lofts. He’s worked with Century 21 for seven years. We asked him all about soft lofts, work/live zoning rules, and why finding cheap spaces to convert is becoming near-impossible.
Denise Balkissoon – The Grid
How did you start learning about lofts?
I’m an old-building geek. I love old factories and old houses—they have so much more character than a lot of the newer stuff. I’m also an avid photographer, and I’ve taken lots of photos of old and abandoned buildings.
How do you feel about new buildings billed as “soft lofts”?
I’m opposed to people portraying them as equal to a converted factory. They have their own niche. I like a lot of them; they’re modern and clean. But a condo with high concrete ceilings is not a loft.
Are Toronto lofts zoned for live/work use?
The vast majority are not, but that’s another misunderstanding. A true live/work space means it’s zoned so that you can operate a business without living in it if you like. But you don’t need special zoning to work in your dining room. It’s only if you have employees or clients coming in. True live/work zoning means paying part of your property taxes as a commercial enterprise, and that would be way higher.
Do some buyers have unrealistic expectations about lofts?
People think they’ll get 2,000 square feet of raw space in a grubby old building for $200,000 and finish it off themselves. Maybe 20 years ago. Anyone with the wherewithal to buy an old building and convert it has done so. There’s nothing to convert. Trust me, I’ve been looking.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
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