Product:STARDate:12-19-2009Desk: NIH-0001- CMYK/16-12-09...
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Product:STAR Date:12-19-2009Desk: NIH-0001-CMYK/16-12-09/19:51:45 N ew in H omes & Condos CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CMYK H1 SATURDAY ON SA2 !SA2191209ONH001Q! !SA2191209ONH001Q! !SA2191209ONH001Q! !SA2191209ONH001Q! ON ON SECTION H SATURDAY DECEMBER 19, 2009 thestar.com CHRISTMAS MIRACLE Colin and Justin offer their advice for the perfect last-minute holiday punch, H8 LIST WEEK AT THE STAR Product expert Vicky Sanderson picks her best new gizmos for 2009, H8 PAULA KULIG SPECIAL TO THE STAR At Ruby’s house, the true spirit of Christmas doesn’t come but once a year. Like many other children, Ruby, almost 2, lives in a home filled with toys and family pho- tos and decorations for the festive season. Yet, it’s also a home with an abundance of love, commitment, generosity and hope in the midst of immense challenges — a place her parents, Danny and Michelle Chow, say has been a “blessing” for their young family. Their story begins in 2000, when they met while working at an investment services firm in Toronto. Before they were married, Danny lived in a series of overpriced apartments, while Michelle lived with her parents in Mis- sissauga. “Back at that time, we were in entry-level clerical jobs,” says Michelle, 33, making home ownership in the city a distant dream. Then in 2001, a friend brought a pamphlet to Danny’s attention that outlined an affordable housing development, and the couple went to a public meeting at a North York library. The presentation was by Options for Homes, a non-profit developer that helps those with low and moderate incomes get into the housing market. This particular building, the Sher- mount, was being built on Lawrence Ave. W. near Allen Rd., where Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. once had its headquarters. Working with Options for Homes was a non- profit corporation called Home Ownership Al- ternatives, which provides financing to pro- spective homeowners in the form of second mortgages that don’t have to be paid back until a property is sold — an approach that lowers the size of the first mortgage and increases the down payment to 25 per cent. At the BLESSINGS ADRIEN VECZAN FOR THE TORONTO STAR Home ownership became possible for Danny and Michelle Chow with daughter Ruby, 2, thanks to non-profit developer Options for Homes. Their 965-square-foot two-bedroom condo is also able to accommodate the wheelchair Danny needs because he suffers from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Despite hardships, couple finds their daughter and condo home are reasons to celebrate COUNTING THEIR In this five-part series, the Toronto Star follows the development of a highrise condominium - Blade in Brampton - from site selection through to the sales launch, offering an in-depth look at the logistical challenges and critical deci- sions that emerge along the way. RYAN STARR SPECIAL TO THE STAR David Eckler specializes in the rede- velopment of heritage properties. So when the principal of Architects Rasch Eckler Associates Ltd. was tasked with transforming Brampton’s century-old former Dominion Skate factory into a gleaming new condo, he welcomed the opportunity. After all, heritage buildings have a certain charm and design elements simply not found in modern struc- tures. ‘‘Industrial buildings of this era were built with a lot of architecture in mind, unlike factory buildings today,’’ says Eckler, whose firm designed Blade in a joint venture with Sirlin Giller & Malek Architects. The existing factory’s architecture is “dramatic,’’ he says, noting the stone insets, detailed arches, cornices and pilasters (or inset columns) that punch out from the brick facade. The erstwhile skate factory has also provided designers with a strong theme to riff on: The project has been christened Blade. ‘‘When I first heard the name, I thought it seemed a bit unusual,’’ says co-architect Lawrence Malek. ‘‘But Blade has a nice ring to it. It’s strong and contemporary, and it’s also a his- torical reference.’’ Brampton city council voted unani- mously in favour of Blade, a devel- opment that will consist of 350 units ranging from 570 to 1,500 square feet, including a dozen lofts. Council hopes the project, being de- veloped by Toronto-based Preston Group, will be a catalyst in its down- town revitalization efforts, attracting BIRTH OF A CONDO PART 2: ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN Hanging on to heritage elements Although Brampton council hopes Blade will spur a rebirth in its core, it wants parts of the old skate factory preserved BLADE continued on H7 BLESSINGS continued on H6 Top 10 home buying tips Tarion.com www.mattamyhomes.com
Transcript of Product:STARDate:12-19-2009Desk: NIH-0001- CMYK/16-12-09...
Product:STAR Date:12-19-2009Desk: NIH-0001-CMYK/16-12-09/19:51:45
New in Homes & Condos
CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK CMYKH1 SATURDAY ON SA2!SA2 191209ON H 001Q!!SA2 191209ON H 001Q!!SA2 191209ON H 001Q!!SA2 191209ON H 001Q!
ON
ON
SECTION HSATURDAYDECEMBER 19, 2009thestar.com
CHRISTMASMIRACLE
Colin and Justin offertheir advice for the
perfect last-minuteholiday punch, H8
LIST WEEKAT THE STARProduct expert Vicky Sanderson picksher best new gizmosfor 2009, H8
PAULA KULIGSPECIAL TO THE STAR
At Ruby’s house, the true spirit of Christmasdoesn’t come but once a year.
Like many other children, Ruby, almost 2,lives in a home filled with toys and family pho-tos and decorations for the festive season. Yet,it’s also a home with an abundance of love,commitment, generosity and hope in themidst of immense challenges — a place herparents, Danny and Michelle Chow, say hasbeen a “blessing” for their young family.
Their story begins in 2000, when they metwhile working at an investment services firm
in Toronto. Before they were married, Dannylived in a series of overpriced apartments,while Michelle lived with her parents in Mis-sissauga.
“Back at that time, we were in entry-levelclerical jobs,” says Michelle, 33, making homeownership in the city a distant dream.
Then in 2001, a friend brought a pamphlet toDanny’s attention that outlined an affordablehousing development, and the couple went toa public meeting at a North York library. Thepresentation was by Options for Homes, anon-profit developer that helps those with lowand moderate incomes get into the housing
market. This particular building, the Sher-mount, was being built on Lawrence Ave. W.near Allen Rd., where Canada Mortgage andHousing Corp. once had its headquarters.
Working with Options for Homes was a non-profit corporation called Home Ownership Al-ternatives, which provides financing to pro-spective homeowners in the form of secondmortgages that don’t have to be paid back untila property is sold — an approach that lowersthe size of the first mortgage and increases thedown payment to 25 per cent. At the
BLESSINGS
ADRIEN VECZAN FOR THE TORONTO STAR
Home ownership became possible for Danny and Michelle Chow with daughter Ruby, 2, thanks to non-profit developer Options for Homes. Their965-square-foot two-bedroom condo is also able to accommodate the wheelchair Danny needs because he suffers from Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
Despite hardships, couple finds their daughter and condo home are reasons to celebrate
COUNTING THEIR
In this five-part series, the Toronto Starfollows the development of a highrisecondominium - Blade in Brampton -from site selection through to the saleslaunch, offering an in-depth look at thelogistical challenges and critical deci-sions that emerge along the way.
RYAN STARRSPECIAL TO THE STAR
David Eckler specializes in the rede-velopment of heritage properties.
So when the principal of ArchitectsRasch Eckler Associates Ltd. wastasked with transforming Brampton’scentury-old former Dominion Skatefactory into a gleaming new condo, hewelcomed the opportunity.
After all, heritage buildings have acertain charm and design elementssimply not found in modern struc-tures.
‘‘Industrial buildings of this era werebuilt with a lot of architecture in mind,unlike factory buildings today,’’ saysEckler, whose firm designed Blade in ajoint venture with Sirlin Giller &Malek Architects.
The existing factory’s architecture is“dramatic,’’ he says, noting the stoneinsets, detailed arches, cornices andpilasters (or inset columns) thatpunch out from the brick facade.
The erstwhile skate factory has alsoprovided designers with a strongtheme to riff on: The project has beenchristened Blade.
‘‘When I first heard the name, Ithought it seemed a bit unusual,’’ saysco-architect Lawrence Malek. ‘‘ButBlade has a nice ring to it. It’s strongand contemporary, and it’s also a his-torical reference.’’
Brampton city council voted unani-mously in favour of Blade, a devel-opment that will consist of 350 unitsranging from 570 to 1,500 square feet,including a dozen lofts.
Council hopes the project, being de-veloped by Toronto-based PrestonGroup, will be a catalyst in its down-town revitalization efforts, attracting
BIRTH OF A CONDOPART 2:ARCHITECTURE ANDDESIGN
Hangingon toheritageelementsAlthough Bramptoncouncil hopes Blade willspur a rebirth in its core,it wants parts of the oldskate factory preserved
BLADE continued on H7 BLESSINGS continued on H6
Top 10 home buying tips
Tarion.com
www.mattamyhomes.com
Product:STAR Date:12-19-2009Desk: NIH-0007-CMYK/16-12-09/19:10:53
CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK CMYKH7 SATURDAY CE SA2!SA2 191209CE H 007Q!!SA2 191209CE H 007Q!!SA2 191209CE H 007Q!!SA2 191209CE H 007Q!
CE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009 H TORONTO STAR H H7
new businesses and residents to thecity centre.
As intent as Brampton is on hav-ing Blade spur a rebirth in its core,though, council also stressed theneed to preserve parts of the oldskate factory.
‘‘Keeping the heritage elementswas important,’’ Eckler says. “Itgivesresidents that bit of nostalgia; amemory of the city’s industrialpast.’’
The plan calls for preservation oftwo sections of the existing struc-ture.
One will be the two-storey build-ing that housed the factory officesand currently serves as the Bladesales centre. (This will ultimatelybe used for retail purposes.)
The facade along the factory’ssouthern side also will be retainedand form the exterior for a row of 12three-storey lofts.
While the architects are keen onmaintaining the site’s heritage andcharacter, the 25-storey tower ris-ing from this base will be a contem-porary structure all the way.
‘‘We didn’t want to simply imitatea historic building and extrude itupward,’’ Eckler says. ‘‘We wantedto incorporate some of those ele-ments and make a modern tower.’’
The building’s exterior will con-sist of a prefabricated insulatedwall panelling system with a tex-tured brick appearance.
This red-brown brick envelopewill be accented with slender off-white armatures that will frame thebalconies, acting like a colonnade.
These armatures will extend thefull height of the building and up tothe top of the tower.
The building’s 10th floor will be anamenity level, with an exerciseroom, saunas, hot tub and indoorpool, as well as a yoga room and zenlounge.
Sliding retractable doors will leadto an outdoor terrace with kitchenand al fresco dining area.
Blade’s top two floors will house
six penthouses each. At approximately 1,200 square
feet, these suites will have addition-al glazing on perimeter walls so res-idents can enjoy “beautiful views ofdowntown Brampton," Eckler says.
DESIGN CHALLENGESIt will be nice up top eventually,
but first the architects have to dealwith the existing structures thatwill form Blade’s base.
Blending old portions of the facto-ry with new construction presentschallenges, the architects note.
“You have to make sure the di-mensions of what you’re workingwith are accurate,” Malek explains.‘‘Because you’re marrying old withnew, you have to verify everything.’’
The architects also needed to de-
termine whether the parts of theexisting building being preservedare structurally sound.
The administration building thatis being retained, and will eventu-ally house the retail centre, has awell-constructed heavy-timberstructure. It will be fine.
But the factory facade — the singlewall that will form the front of thelofts — will need to be braced dur-ing construction.
‘‘A single wall standing up on itsown is not structurally sound,”Malek says.
CONTEMPORARY, CLEAN LOOKThe most eye-catching condo
tower won’t count for much, how-ever, if what’s on offer inside is un-appealing.
Enter Blade interior designer Flo-ra Di Menna.
Di Menna’s first step is to analyzethe layouts to see how they willwork with potential furniturechoices.
‘‘We want to make sure that whenwe set up a living room with sofasand chairs, they’re not in passage-ways,’’ she says.
She then looks at which finishesare most appropriate for the units,based on purchase price.
Blade’s bathrooms will have cul-tured marble countertops, withtempered glass and ceramic tile inthe shower stalls.
There will be granite countertopsin the kitchen, along with stainlesssteel undermount sinks and ceram-ic tile backsplashes.
The overall look is contemporaryand clean, in keeping with the pro-ject’s overarching Blade theme.
The open-concept condos —which will range from 594- square-foot, one-bedroom units to 1,454-square-foot, two-bedroom lofts —will have nine-foot ceilings (up to 10feet in lofts and penthouses).
Di Menna’s firm has designed allof Blade’s common areas, as well,including the lobbies, corridors,party room and amenities level.
The look here is contemporary,too, with stainless steel, back-painted glass and stained wood.
In a nod to the site’s history, thecommon areas also will be decorat-ed with historical photographs andan array of odd furniture, includinga sales centre table with hockeystick legs.
HERITAGE REFLECTEDBlade’s landscaping design also
keeps heritage in mind.The property will have coach-
style lantern lighting, similar towhat is seen throughout downtownBrampton.
Stone planters will mirror materi-als found on the old factory facadeand driveways will be made of pre-cast concrete pavers that recall thelook of old cobblestone. The maincourtyard will have a range of treesand shrubs and, in accordance withBrampton’s Flower City strategy, avariety of flowering perennials, an-nuals and seasonal bulbs.
The project’s main landscapingconversation piece is the skatingoval to be built in the Blade court-yard. This will double as a walkingtrack in the summer.
BLEND OF OLD AND NEWBlending an old factory with a new
condo is no simple feat. ‘‘Our challenge was to come up
with something that’s modern andlooks completely new but is alsodeferential to the heritage base,”David Eckler says.
He thinks they’ve achieved thiswith Blade and in doing so created aunique, development.
Modern towers mesh with heritage elementsBLADE from H1
HOMES & CONDOS
1 Location: Brampton, 45 RailroadSt. 1 Developer: The Preston Group 1 Units: 350 (one-bedroom, two-bedroom and lofts).1 Size range: 570 to 1,500 squarefeet1 Price: from $179,9001 Estimated completion date: 20121 Neighbourhood amenities: GOTransit/VIA Rail station, Highways407 and 410, Rose Theatre, GagePark, YMCA, library.1 Online: www.bladecondos.com
ECO-FRIENDLY ENGINEERING1 Rainwater captured for irrigation.1 Energy Star appliances.1 Low-flush toilets; low flow fau-cets/shower heads.1 Energy-efficient thermal win-dows.1 Individual utility meters.1 Low-emission paints and adhe-sives.1 Green roof on new retail centre.1 Electric car parking spaces withbattery recharging stations.ARCHITECTS1 AREA (Architects Rasch EcklerAssociates Ltd.) is a Toronto-
based firm with expertise in the re-development of heritage proper-ties. Principal David Eckler is a for-mer vice-chair of Heritage Torontoand has served on the Architectur-al Conservancy of Ontario Adviso-ry Board. For more information:www.areaarchitects.ca.1 Sirlin Giller & Malek Architects is
a medium-sized firm that withhighrise residential developmentsacross the GTA.
On the commercial side, Toronto-based SG&M has designed thehead offices for Pepsi Cola CanadaLtd. and Levi Strauss & Co.
For more information:www.sgm-arch.com.
BLADE AT A GLANCE
AREA (ARCHITECTS RASCH ECKLER ASSOCIATES LTD.) IN JOINTVENTURE WITH SIRLIN GILLER & MALEK ARCHITECTS
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