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The redevelopment of Montcrest School on Broadview Avenue has won the Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence in the Private Buildings in Context Category for 2021.

Montcrest School occupies a collection of Queen Anne revival homes in Toronto’s Riverdale community. A new infill volume was designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects to improve the functionality of the school while preserving the heritage of the house forms that have become synonymous with the school’s identity along Broadview Avenue.

GBCA prepared a Heritage Impact Assessment, developing a conservation strategy that would allow for the modernization of the school space both inside and outside while conserving the heritage fabric of these early twentieth century buildings. Subsequently a Conservation Plan was developed for the buildings. GBCA also assisted with heritage approvals with the City of Toronto.

To read more about this year’s awards, go to the City website.

Some of GBCA’s recent projects are among those nominated for this year’s Urban Design Awards.

In the category of “Elements,” the new CF Toronto Eaton Centre Bridge is nominated. For this project GBCA prepared a Heritage Impact Assessment and assisted with heritage approvals. Montcrest School on Broadview Avenue is nominated in the category of “Private Buildings in Context.” Following the preparation of a Heritage Impact Assessment, GBCA completed a Conservation Plan for the existing heritage buildings on the site, which were integrated with new construction designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects. And, nominated in the category of “Master Plans” is the proposed Spirit Garden – Indian Residential School Survivors Restoration of Identity Project for which GBCA prepared a Heritage Impact Assessment based on an analysis of the project’s location adjacent to Nathan Phillips Square.

To see all of this year’s entries, click here.

The 2021 Award winners will be announced and celebrated during the Virtual Ceremony at 5:00pm on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, via the City of Toronto YouTube Premiere.

The Cabbagetown Preservation Association has recognized GBCA’s recent restoration work at the Winchester Hotel on Parliament Street in Toronto. A Special Award in the Peggy Kurtin Award for Excellence in Restoration was presented to the owner (Lesley Black), the general contractor (Tom Mintsopoulos of One Oak Design and Build), the restoration contractor (Barkley Hunt of Hunt Heritage), and GBCA.

Read more about the project on the here.

GBCA has been the heritage consultant for the ongoing restoration of the Winchester Hotel in Cabbagetown. Recently, the cupola was recreated. Read about it in the Globe and Mail.

An update of the Massey Music Hall Revitalization Project was published recently in Award Magazine. GBCA is the lead heritage consultant on the project. Click here for a digital copy of the publication.

Photographer Salina Kassam has won a 2020 Canadian Architect Photo Award of Excellence for an image of the Massey Music Hall plaster ceiling pre-restoration.

See the announcement in Canadian Architect.

GBCA’s contribution to the rehabilitation of two historic buildings in Cabbagetown is in the news. You can read about it in the Globe and Mail.

Working alongside Montgomery Sisam Architects, GBCA is the heritage architect for the adaptive reuse of the former Scarboro Mission Building and Chapel. The site and the buildings have a long and interesting history, which will be maintained through retention of portions of the complex, while allowing for new construction on the site. Urban Toronto recently posted a news item on the development.

Big news on the development underway at 65 King Street East. Goggle Canada has just announced that they will take over 400,000 square feet of the 18-storey building. Since 2015, GBCA has been working with Carttera Private Equities on the development at 65 King Street East, which includes a row of historic building facades.

See the announcement in the Daily Commercial News

The City of Windsor annually recognizes excellence in the long-term stewardship and rehabilitation of heritage buildings at the annual Built Heritage Awards. GBCA was honoured to accept an award at the Built Heritage Awards presentation on February 24 for the restoration of Willistead Manor. The project won in the Heritage Conservation Category which recognizes properties that demonstrate extraordinary or exemplary conservation of built heritage resources.

GBCA, with local partner studio g+G architect, provided expert consultancy services to the City of Windsor Facilities Department for this $1.95 million-dollar restoration project. The restoration scope included cleaning and repairing the masonry and woodwork, replacing failing roof and rainwater systems, and extensive window repairs. As cited in the nomination: The restoration project at Willistead preserves the high quality of craftsmanship in the building, and showcases high degree of adherence to heritage standards, which would allow Willistead Manor to continue as one of the most significant heritage properties in the City and remain for generations to enjoy.

Christopher Borgal was also recognized for the heritage expertise he provided to a team of consultants, led by Jason Grossi of g+G architect, for the adaptive reuse of the John Muir Branch of the Windsor Public Library (the former Sandwich Fire Hall and Stable), which won in the Heritage Conservation, Adaptive Reuse category.