House of Industry, YMCA Elm Centre

Since 2006 GBCA has been providing expert heritage services for the YMCA Elm Centre, which integrates a historic mid-nineteenth century façade (the former House of Industry) into a development that will provide 300 units of affordable and supportive housing and the head office for the organization.

Having served the needs of the “poor, aged and infirm” since 1849, William Thomas’ House of Industry has undergone a number of physical transformations, including additions by E.J. Lennox at the turn of the twentieth century (an east wing followed by a west wing in the 1890s and a third-storey addition in 1906). Additions in the 1970 and 1980s, after the building was converted to a retirement home, left very little of the original building and resulted in the demolition of the Lennox wings. A new three-storey building, designed by Marani Rounthwaite and Dick Architects—the Rotary Laughlen Centre—wrapped around the rear and sides, leaving only the façade. The interior was gutted and the back half of the building (except for a short portion of the east and west wall returns) was removed.

Acting as heritage consultant to Regional Architects and Hilditch Architect, GBCA prepared a Heritage Impact Statement, Conservation Strategy, and Condition Review of the remaining Thomas façade, which was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, and had a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City of Toronto. Our work continued into the construction phase and included the preparation of construction documents for the exterior restoration, detailed drawings mitigating the connection of the new construction to the heritage fabric, followed by on site review.

Built in a Tudor-Gothic style, the building was built of buff brick with stone accents. The focus of the façade restoration included brick and mortar repairs, along with dutchman repairs to the stone elements. It was determined that the distinct brick colouration between the second and the third floor would be preserved as this feature was a visual reference of the building’s construction history. Other notable features that were directed by the heritage specifications were the central entrance with cut stone surround and oriel window. New wood windows were specified to replace existing aluminum frame windows and new copper rainwater leaders were installed as a replacement to the aluminum versions.

Heritage considerations directed an adjustment in design when the original fabric of the east and west walls of the 1848-49 Thomas building was discovered under the interior drywall of the 1980s addition. By stepping back the new construction from the front plane of the building, GBCA reinstated the three-dimensional quality of the building resulting in the preservation of more of the original fabric than had formerly been visible. Once complete, the restored façade will read as a distinct portion of the building, maintaining its historic character and urban presence.

For more on the project, see: http://www.ywcatoronto.org/assets/pdf/shelter_housing_support/0911_building_strategies.pdf