Examples Of Weaving Together Heritage And Modern Architecture To Meet The Evolving Needs Of Toronto’s City Center
The Ontario Heritage Act was founded in 1975 with the goal of preserving and celebrating history. The act allows the province to designate heritage buildings that are protected from demolition. In this photo essay, we explore two sites that are protected under this act, and how the heritage buildings were woven together with modern architecture to meet needs of expansion. The two projects are located 450 meters from one another in Downtown Toronto’s Yorkville and Queen’s Park neighbourhoods. The photos below offer new perspectives on the structures as isolated subjects and on their relationship to their surroundings.
The Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum originally opened its doors in 1914. In 1933 the museum expanded to include a wing along Queen’s Park. Both buildings are excellent examples of Canada’s 20th century Romanesque style and in 1973 became protected heritage sites. In 1984 another extension was added along Bloor Street, but in 2003 the majority of this was demolished to make way for the iconic structure we see today.
Famed architect Daniel Libeskind was inspired by the ROM’s gem and mineral collection when asked to design a new wing for the museum that would include a new main entrance and home for the dinosaur exhibit. The deconstructed crystalline form is a steel framed structure, cladded in 25% glass and 75% aluminum that captures the attention of anyone who walks past.
The new structure’s canted walls do not touch the existing heritage building, instead they envelope a series of passageways that connect the new and heritage buildings. Construction of this extension was completed in 2007 and named the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.
Built in 1927, this row of charming Victorian inspired Bay and Gables houses were apartments for University of Toronto students. In 1973 the City of Toronto adopted these houses to preserve their story, and in 2008 they became a protected heritage site. In recent years this area has seen a massive surge of development, and the need for growth was clear.
The final design blends distinctly Victorian and Contemporary materials to create a unified work. The contrast between the solid red brick of the heritage homes and the translucency of the glass tower highlights both typologies. The curves of the floating tower act as a perfect backdrop to the angular Victorian storefronts.
These two properties have positively transformed the Queen’s Park and Yorkville neighbourhoods all while maintaining and elevating the histories from the city’s past. They stand as compelling examples showing the value of the Ontario Heritage Act. By preserving historical buildings and merging them with modern architecture; we can create an opportunity to celebrate their contrasts. Tourists and locals alike benefit from this renewed sense of awe and wonder as our cities evolve.
Parks play a vital role in the culture of a city and in the well-being of those who live there. Yet studies have shown that if a park is more than a three-minute walk from someone’s home, they won’t use it! People who live within that three minute walk will visit their nearby parks almost everyday, and say it’s of the most important parts of their physical and mental health routine. But what about the people who live outside that three minute radius? Wouldn’t they also would benefit from a little relaxation and connection with nature? For them the distance overrides the need. Living near a park can increase your physical activity, reduce stress levels and offer better air quality for the neighbourhood. Many factors go into designing a good park that will be used by all kinds of people and enrich the cities landscape.
Beyond the physical health benefits, parks also become essential social hubs of activity! By designing public areas and squares within dense residential areas you are adding the human element back into your urban planning. People need spaces to interact with their neighbours in a neutral setting; where they could both be there at the same time for their own reasons and still run into each other. That’s why it’s important to offer enough subtle variety in activities to appeal to as many people as possible. Whether it’s to play a friendly game of basketball or stroll through some beautifully maintained flower gardens. Parks can act as a bridge between generations and interests to unite a community.
Creative and intentional landscape design can make all the difference when it comes to designing a park. Landscape architects use plants, varying terrain, stones and pavers to create beautiful interactive and engaging spaces. Another trend emerging in the design of urban parks is that asphalt is no longer being used as the primary material for paving pathways. Asphalt is notorious for reflecting heat, bring hard under foot, offers no natural water drainage, and is detrimental to the health of surrounding plants and animals. The switch to stone pavers allows for the creation of beautiful details and patterns and also is better for the health of the park and neighbourhood.
A strategically planned park can also be a compliment to surrounding architecture! If you can plan the layout of the park, you can control how people see your building. Trees and seating location create opportunities to frame beautiful architectural moments you want users to focus on. By surrounding your building by green space you’re ensuring people see the building from all sides. As the seasons change the variety of colours can compliment the adjacent architecture and make it pop. Occupants of a building are also willing to pay more for a space that has a view of a park, rather than directly into their neighbours window or onto a busy street. The relationship between parks, architecture and the people who live in them truly becomes a defining factor in the culture and lifestyle of any city. With health and well-being on top of everyone’s mind, the need for more and improved green spaces is crucial. Consider these elements the next time you’re out for a walk!
While the last couple of years has been difficult due to the pandemic, it is critical to step up advertising and showcasing your work through websites, proposals, and social media posts, now more than ever to generate business. At the core of this effort are high quality images. Finding the right design and architectural photographer that not only has the skills, but also can share in and execute your vision can be tricky. To assist you with this process, we’ve put together some tips to consider when you look a hire a photographer for your next architectural or interior design project.
Prioritizing Your Project’s Needs:
The first factor you need to consider is how much you can spend on photography. If you are starting out, consider looking at photographers who are also newer to the industry. This creates an opportunity for you both to build your portfolios and learn together on equal footing. If this isn’t one of your first times photographing your work, then the answer may vary depending on the project itself. If this project is going to be one of the crown jewels of your portfolio, you should consider spending more on an experienced, high profile and influential photographer. The potential for added exposure and efficiency is worth the investment. Just like interior designers and architects, some photographers choose to specialize in certain sectors of the industry. Hospitality, retail, workplace, residential and architectural projects all have their own unique style and needs when it comes to photography. If you happen to be in a niche market, a photographer with experience in that same niche may be more effective at getting better images. On the other hand, hiring a generalist photographer may offer you new ideas and fresh perspectives. Both approaches work equally well, it comes down to what fits your project’s needs best. This may sound cliché, but you’ll want to make sure you have defined your projects story and personality before seeking out a photographer. When you think about how you want your project to translate to viewers, what do you see? Is your project meant to be sophisticated and stoic? Or more casual and playful? Whose attention are you trying to get with these photos? A clear vision of what you want will help you focus on finding a photographer to match. It will also help you communicate that vision to any potential photographers you speak with.
Completing Thoughtful Research:
Social media has made it easy to scroll through thousands of people’s best pictures with little effort. But we recommend taking a more intentional approach when sourcing photographers for your project. Look through architectural and design publications, note the images you are drawn to. Think of images of existing projects that you’ve found inspiring. Look at the portfolios of practices that you see as aspirational. From here search out the photographers of those images and see if they’re greater portfolio also appeals to you. Aside from the photographs themselves, photographers can offer other services and added benefits to hiring them. If you are looking to increase your visibility on social media, does this photographer have followers you can convert into your own followers and potential clients? If you are trying to grow your network, is this person well-connected to other members in the industry or have they been prominently published? Are you also interested in other services such as aerial photography and videography? Do you need both interior and exterior shots taken of your project? If these factors are important to your project or practice, use them as an added filter when narrowing down your options. The most important part about finding the right photographer is their personality and how they work. This is difficult to determine based on they’re polished website or social media profile. Which is why we believe the best way to find the right photographer is through a referral. Speak with your colleagues and network of professionals to see who they have had a good experience working with.
Finding The Right Personality To Work With:
By the end of your research, you should have your options narrowed down to 3 or 4 photographers you are interested in working with. To feel fully confident that the person you are bringing onto your team will be the right fit, you need to interview them. In doing so you will gain understanding on how you both work, it’s important to find someone who you can collaborate with and not just direct. The interview is the perfect opportunity to communicate your concise vision for the project and make sure they’re enthusiasm for achieving that vision matches yours. The right photographer should leave you feeling like you’ve established a foundation of trust and respect. This becomes so important when you are on site together and needing to decide on the best way to capture your project.
We hope that the above points help you in finding the right photographer who will share your vision, work within your budget, and get the best from your project.
If you have a project you’d like to capture, let’s connect!
For people who live in condos and apartments, their balcony is an essential outdoor living space that has become more necessary than ever before. They can be an outdoor dining room, a reading nook, a fitness center or even a stage for performances; but most importantly they are safe spaces of retreat. Architecture often goes through trends of change, but one thing that has survived throughout history is the importance of having a balcony to expand your living space and to allow easy access to fresh air and views. Architects who realize this also know that balconies can add visual interest to help set their buildings apart from the rest.
Thinking about all this inspired me to put together a collection of beautiful balconies I’ve photographed in the past. Each of these designs is a unique solution to creating an outdoor space with varying degrees of privacy, shelter, and room to move around.
This first image is a great example of how balcony design can bring visual interest to a building’s facade. The colourful glass panels brighten up the otherwise flat gray building, giving it personality and excitement. Although these balconies can fit one or two people, they don’t give enough room to be considered an outdoor living space. The staggering of the balcony locations offer more privacy than their upstairs neighbors, who have larger balconies but a glass panel is the only thing between them and the adjacent unit.
These warm and welcoming alcoves are an example of how even the smallest spaces can have a large impact. These balconies present the same size issue as our earlier building, but the combination of asymmetry, warm colour, and complete privacy gives it a touch of whimsy that can’t help but make you smile. The solid surround makes the space feel cozy and inviting. And from the sidewalk, the white frames create little snapshots into the lives occurring inside.
This building does a fantastic job of blurring the lines between public and private space. A unique mixture of materials create an illusion, causing the balconies to disappear. Thin vertical posts repeat at random locations to allow each unit some privacy while still being open to the fresh air and sunshine. The colour palette and integration of plants give you the calm feeling of being in nature, even though you’re in an urban environment. The final result is truly a retreat from reality just outside your door.
These monolithic-style balconies, while simple in form, attract the viewer’s attention with their staggered pattern. Their large size allows the user to have functional outdoor living space that can act as an extension of their home. Both the staggered pattern and the concrete surround offer privacy from neighbors and protection from varying weather elements.
The balconies on this building capture the viewer’s attention with their fascinating shape. Although they have been artistically crafted, the architect has chosen to sacrifice function in order to achieve this design aesthetic. The unique layout of these balconies helps to maximize the views of each unit. But still, the awkward steep triangle limits the kind of furniture arrangements you can have, making it harder to live in.
The architect of this building provides a creative solution to the design of these functional outdoor spaces. A distinctly shaped canopy, meant to mimic the sailboats docked in the nearby harbour, offers shelter from the elements without sacrificing style. The repetition of this shape as one balcony folds into the next also gives privacy to the owner.
Famously known for being inspired by a woman’s figure, these curved balconies are truly inspiring. The balconies surround the outside perimeter of every unit giving the owner lots of outdoor space to occupy. Semi-transparent glass adds a texture to the facade while also adding a layer of privacy to the balcony.
These eye-catching balconies boast a unique shape using materials that stand up to the harsh Canadian weather. The white perforated paneling on the balconies contrast with the dark clear glass of the windows to create a fascinating facade you can’t take your eyes off of. Even though this building is densely populated, the balcony fronts create an illusion of total privacy.
I hope this article serves as inspiration for your next project or perhaps motivates you to get out and observe some of the balconies in your area as well.
The visual aids we deliver to our clients as designers and suppliers are essential in effectively communicating important information to them. Throughout my years of being a photographer and designer, I have learned how to use humans effectively in interior and architectural photography to emphasize specific areas, details, and products.
By experimenting with photography composition, I have narrowed it down to 5 key areas where including humans in your photographs will enhance the image.
These photos of a vibrant work cafe show how adding humans to your photo can depict life. But even with all the bright colors and playful elements, the image on the top can feel cold and uninviting. In the image on the bottom, I’ve strategically placed people in natural postures throughout the space. By suggesting the way the space could be occupied, the viewer is able to picture themselves in the space as well. As designers, we want people to feel comfortable in the spaces we create. And when trying to win over new clients we want to prove that those are the kinds of spaces we design. Especially in spaces that are the social hubs of the program, it’s important to include people. By adding people into these photos, I was able to bring life into the image while also demonstrating the function of the space.
These examples of a large meeting room show how humans can be used to add depth to an image. The first image is great, it showcases the furniture pieces beautifully, however it feels flat and static. In the second image by adding humans I’ve instantly added excitement to the image. I have drawn attention to the space beyond the meeting room and drawn attention to other interior elements such as the glazing partition. In this scenario, a full scene has been created that your clients can buy into. The main purpose of the photo has been maintained. But now the viewer is drawn into the image by implying the existence of life beyond the meeting room. This makes it easier for them to envision the product in their own space.
These examples of interior photography show how you can use humans to emphasize the subject of the photo. In the image on the top, the viewer may struggle to understand the purpose of the partition dividing one area in an open office layout. The image has a lot of design elements competing for your attention, which can make it hard to pinpoint the subject or purpose of the photo. In the image on the bottom, I am passively showing the viewer what the purpose of that partition is, without distracting from the design of the space. The less you have to say out loud to the viewer the better. This also helps harmonize the image’s composition by highlighting the function of the desired subject.
4. Using Humans To Clarify Proportions And Scale
Capital One - Reception Area | Photo by Alan Chakota
Capital One - Reception Area with Model | Photo by Alan Chakota
The images above show how humans can be used to clarify proportions and scale in interior photography. The first image, although defined in subject matter, lacks a sense of scale that would help the viewer understand the impact this reception desk has on the space. In the second image by adding in a receptionist the viewer can see for themselves the kind of presence this feature design element has within the space. The human scale is something that is easy for anyone to understand. If the goal of your image is to draw attention to the size of an object within the space, adding in a human is the easiest way to convey that message to your viewer.
These photo examples show how you can use humans to demonstrate the function of a space or furniture piece when it’s not obvious at first glance. The image on the top shows a bank of workstations I photographed for my client. They wanted to highlight the desks’ height adjustable feature, which is not clear in the first photo. In the second image, I strategically placed the model in a standing position to show this function of the desk in a subtle way. Now the viewer can infer the desk’s height adjustability on their own, creating excitement about the possibilities for use in their own mind. I’ve found that by adding humans to your interior photography, your photos start to do more work for you. The power of suggestion is a strong marketing tool and the more you can sell yourself, your products, or your designs without saying a word, the better. By applying these principles when composing my shots I am able to offer my clients a fully realized image that they can use to help propel their business further.
During my period of self-isolation in recent months, I’ve delved deep into my collection of images, honing my insight into the intricate art of architecture photography. This journey transcends mere technical adjustments; it’s about a deliberate, meticulous approach.
When I am out on a photo walk, I like to slow down when I arrive at the destination and notice the beauty before I press the shutter button. Slowing down allows me to be present and more observant of all the details that make my subjects interesting. After taking the time to observe my subject, I set up my camera and tripod, compose the frame, make a mental note of where I want a human figure to be, and then wait for the right passerby to walk into the frame. It’s not unusual for me to wait for up to an hour to capture my desired image. It is this process that I have fallen in love with over the years and not just the final image.
For me, the allure lies not only in the final product but in the intricate process itself—a journey of observation, composition, and anticipation. Below, I present a selection of my favorite captures from diverse locales over the past three years, each illustrating the synergy between human presence and architecture.
