design for the people - urban capitalmedia.urbancapital.ca/pdf/urbancapitalmagazine2014web.pdf ·...

URBAN CAPITAL MAGAZINEURBAN CAPITAL MAGAZINE

Design forthe People

UC IN 2014RC3 IN LEGOEAST VS WEST

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DECEMBER 2014 | VOL 4

The Lost Art of WatercolourRenderingsFrozen in Time

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CONTENTS

FEATURES28 DESIGN FOR THE PEOPLE

With the support of Urban Capital, Shauna Levy hastransformed Toronto’s Design Exchange into one of the city’shottest commodities.

34 THE LOST ART OF WATERCOLOUR RENDERINGSMichael McCann is one of the few remaining watercolourrenderers, but his art can be crucial in crafting a conceptualbuilding design.

38 FROZEN IN TIMEWinnipeg's go-go development at the turn of the last centurywas cut short by a series of unforeseen circumstances, leavinga legacy of spectacular heritage buildings.

42 HAND IN HANDAzure Magazine and its hometown Toronto have experiencedan symbiotic trajectory over the past thirty years.

46 EAST VS WESTWhich side of Toronto rules? A look-back at an “intelligentdiscussion on a not so important topic”, hosted by River City.

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THE FRONT5 Urban Capital at IDS

Urban Capital is centre stage at Toronto’s 2015Interior Design Show.

6 River City as seen by Spencer WynnSpencer Wynn captures River City’s moodycharacter.

11 A year in Urban Capital’s lifeOur annual tracking of UC’s comings and goings.

17 UC’s Portfolio 2014A roundup of the projects Urban Capital had onthe go in 2014.

THE BACK49 Condo Development 101

How to approach a new market, in 10 easy steps.

50 CurioRC3 in Lego.

51 Wearable ArtUC’s small easy-to-producebuttons serve as an artfulreminder of projects past.

52 Rear ViewThe Pug Awards celebratedtheir last year in 2014,fittingly naming River Cityas the public’s favouritebuilding of the year.

SMART HOUSE227 Queen St West

Toronto, ON M5V 1Z4(416) 292.0219

smarthousetoronto.com

HIDEAWAY andSMART HOUSE OTTAWA455 Bank Street, Unit 2

Ottawa, ON K2P 1Y9(613) 789.5475

hideawayatcentral.comsmarthouseottawa.com

GLASSHOUSEWinnipeg Square360 Main Street

Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3Z3(204) 282.9658

glasshousewinnipeg.com

SOUTHPORT1065 Barrington StreetHalifax, NS B3H 2R1

(902) 429.0077

southporthalifax.com

RIVER CITY 2, RC3and TABLEAU

51 Trolley Crescent(King East at Lower River)

Toronto, ON M5A 1V2(416) 862.0505

rivercitytoronto.comtableaucondos.comU

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URBAN CAPITAL MAGAZINEDECEMBER 2014 | VOL 4

URBAN CAPITAL MAGAZINE

Design forthe People

UC IN 2014RC3 IN LEGOEAST VS WEST

+

DECEMBER 2014 | VOL 4

The Lost Art ofWatercolourRenderings Frozen in Time

17 Nelson StreetToronto, ON M5V 0G2

(416) [email protected]

www.facebook.com/UrbanCapital

www.twitter.com/UrbanCapital

EditorDavid Wex

ContributorsSteven Barr, Taya Cook, Austin MacDonald, Sherril Matthes, Mark Reeve, David Wex

PhotographyGordon King, Leif Norman,Spencer Wynn, Jose Uribe

DesignShakeel Walji, The Walsh Group

COVER A close up of the intense shoring systemused to form and then temporarily support (untilit cures) the fifth floor “table” at Urban Capital’sTableau development in downtown Toronto. Thethree metre thick structural slab in turn holds upthe 35 floors of residential units above it.

Another year, another UC Magazine. In what’s becoming something of a ritual, wespent the past two months scrambling to put into words and pictures theexperiences we’ve had (and the article ideas that have popped into our heads) overthe last twelve months.

This year we had the added benefit of having some magazine industry friends cast acritical eye on our editions past. So some of the changes you might notice are: amore consistent typography and magazine style; more magazine-like elements (suchas this very masthead); and real third party ads.

Of course in 2014 we did more than just hone our corporate annual. We completedtwo new projects – Central Phase 2 and Nicholas, bringing the total number ofcompleted Urban Capital units to over 2,900. We also close-to-completed Hideaway(Central Phase 3) and River City Phase 2 – another 400+ units that will make it intonext year’s count. And we got construction underway with Smart House in Toronto,Glasshouse in Winnipeg, and Southport in Halifax.

Looking ahead to 2015, we start construction of RC3, likely complete construction ofTableau, and launch two new developments in Toronto: Futura and Ravine.

And to kick off the new year, Urban Capital will be the feature exhibitor at this yearsInterior Design Show. For a preview of what we’ll have to show, see the piece onPage 5.

Happy reading and see you next year.

David Wex Mark Reeve

STARTING THE LOW $200’S TO $1.4M

Rendering is an artist’s impression. Specifications are subject to change without notice. E.&O.E.

PRESENTATION CENTREAND MODEL SUITEKING ST EAST AT LOWER RIVERMON-THURS 12-6 PMSAT & SUN 12-5 PMFOR MORE INFO 416.862.0505

KING ST E

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ARE YOU READY?

NOW OPEN

“The story so far of River City … has not quite prepared us for the most vivid surprise ofall: Phase 3. Saucier + Perrotte’s building will be amongst the most artistically excitinghigh rises constructed in Toronto since the onset of the condo boom.”

– John Bentley Mays, THE GLOBE AND MAIL

PRESENTATION CENTRE

455 BANK ST AT MCLEODOTTAWA

MON 12-5 | THURS 3-7SATURDAY-SUNDAY 12-5

HideawayatCentral.ca613.789.5475

Hideaway’s saltwater pool will be open in June,but you can take advantage of our Open House now!

MOVE-IN THIS YEARSTARTING FROM $219,900

COMING JANUARY 22URBAN CAPITAL ANDNICHETTO STUDIO AT IDSToronto’s Interior DesignShow is Canada’s premiershowcase of new products,innovative designers andavant-garde concepts fromaround the world. For fourdays in January every year,IDS packs Toronto withindustry superstars, cutting-edge emerging names,design-savvy consumers andinternational press.

For 2015’s edition, IDS askedUrban Capital and Italy’sNichetto Studio to collaborateon the show’s main feature.The result: Cubitat, a “plugand play”, customizable andconceptually transportablecube that containseverything you need in acondominium: kitchen,bathroom, bedroom,entertaining area andstorage.

Picking up from whereUrban Capital left off withSmart House and RC3’sGraham Hill cube, Cubitatfeatures the best inarchitecture, interior designand product design, all rolledup into one exquisiteNichetto Studio-designedobject.

Check out Cubitat at 2015’sInterior Design Show, at theMetro Toronto ConventionCentre January 22-25.

Or you can check back withUC Magazine next year, we’llhave the blow-by-blowaccount.

Nichetto StudioNichetto Studio is an internationally renowned design studio based out ofStockholm, Sweden and Venice Italy. With a broad range of competenciesincluding industrial, product and interior design as well as architecture,Nichetto Studio epitomizes the concept of multi-disciplinary design. Knownfor their extreme attention to detail and deep knowledge of productionprocesses, the studio has designed products and pieces for some of themost high profile manufacturers in Europe and around the world.

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Toronto-based Spencer Wynn captures River City'shard angles and jet black cladding.

Architecture: Saucier + Perrotte, MontrealZAS Architects, Toronto

Photography: Spencer Wynn, Toronto

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12104MONTHS

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Nicholas tops offsFrom the 36th storey, Toronto near Yonge andBloor can be a thing of beauty. And that’s exactlywhat we reminded ourselves of as we took ashaky hoist up to the roof in the middle ofFebruary for a group topping off photo. As thefinal concrete was poured, the project’s bankers,project managers, designers, engineers and evenlawyers were there to forever capture themomentous occasion.

PS if you ever wondered, the desire to write yourname in concrete doesn't go away with age.

FEBRUARY 20TH, 2014

River City 1 welcomesToronto’s 350 newesthome ownersIn condominium development all the years ofsweat and tears pay off on one momentous day...the final closing date. By the time you’re ready toset the date, most people are on their way to beingsettled in to their home, and for the first time thedeveloper actually gets paid! So congrats to our350 newest home owners at River City 1. You tooka chance on an upcoming neighbourhood, saw thevision in Saucier + Perrotte’s cutting edge design and now officially have your own homes to show for it. It’s a big day all around.

DECEMBER 14TH, 2013

Naughty or Nice 3 Lets be honest, office holidayparties are not an event that mostpeople get excited about.So how do we keep our250+ closest friendsentertained for someholiday cheer? We invitethe who’s-who of thedevelopment design worldand then pack them intoour office. We pump thespace with awesome indiemusic, add hotbartenders, throw somego-go dancers on ourdesks and then encourageeveryone to let loose. Ageold problem… solved.

DECEMBER 12TH, 2013

APRIL 7TH-12TH, 2014

UC takes on Milan Design WeekDesign Exchange sponsorship has itsadvantages. One is getting to go on a DXexecutive board trip to Milan DesignWeek, led by the indomitable ShaunaLevy, the DX prez. Other than having ahelluva lot of fun, we got to be inspiredby the world's leading interior designersand manufacturers, each with their ownbooth in this massive world designexhibition. Highlights: Tsuyoshi Tane'sethereal suspended watch installation"Light is Time" at the Design Museum, theBoffi party, Vitra's eclectic design booth,and getting to see the Pirelli building, a1960s modernist icon, in person.

MAY 2ND, 2014

River City 2 tops offThe 'jewel' of River City takes shape. A majormilestone was reached for the team at River CityPhase 2 when on a cold day in May we topped offthe building. Celebrating with the delights of allconstruction sites (meats, breads and brews),the team could now turn its attention to the nextsteps - the glass and metal panels that will makethe jewel shine.

Central 2is “turned over”A turnover meeting is to developerswhat a child getting married is toparents. Years of love, work andinvestment have all lead to this day,and as you officially give up yourbuilding and hand it over to the newcondo board, you have to step backand hope that your baby will be welltaken care of. You can't make bigdecisions anymore or drop byunannounced. And forget about tryingto tell them what to wear or how toact. But at the end of the day, if theyneed you (or Tarion comesknocking....), you'll still be there forthem in years to come.

JUNE 24TH, 2014

JUNE

JUNE 18TH, 2014

River City 1 wins the Pug AwardsFor its last year, the Pug Award’s People’sChoice Award is won by River City Phase1, proving that the people know whatthey’re talking about.For more on thePug Awards,see page 52.

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MAY 16TH, 2014

MAY 29TH, 2014

River City 3 (RC3) launches at new River City sales officeWe needed a location that was big.Like really big. Like 5,500 sf of doubleheight, sun filled, exposed concreteawesomeness that would fit a full size"pod", big. RC3 is not a regularbuilding, and it couldn't have a regularlaunch. There was only one placefitting - the up-the-street predecessorto RC3, River City 1. With tons ofmedia, past purchasers, and agents onhand, we revealed the third phase ofour iconic West Don Landsdevelopment, our most exciting yet.

David and Mark are profiled in Condo Guide. A little PR never hurts

Smart House Ottawa VIP LaunchWith the success of Smart House Toronto at our heels, we headed east forthe VIP launch of Smart House Ottawa. Urban Capital's new concept incompact living was brought to Bank & Flora with an exclusive event forour past purchasers - showing that an ultra smart collaboration oflocation, space and good design travels well.

SEPT 18TH, 2014

Central 1 achieves LEED GoldUnder promise, over deliver. It's not a typical mantra for a developer, but for our first LEEDbuilding we played it safe and promised that Central Phase 1 (Ottawa) would be a LEED Silverbuilding. Achieving Silver is no small feat and only happens after years of hefty consultants fees,extensive monitoring and careful execution, but as our points racked up, we were able to surpassour own expectations and achieve LEED Gold. As is only appropriate, we celebrated with a goldenchampagne party for our very green purchasers.

AUGUST 19TH, 2014

Smart House wins 3 Awards at OHBAWe added more hardware to our office, as we hauled home three OntarioHome Builder Awards from Ottawa. The awards for best website, best adcampaign and best promotional video prove that the marketing teambehind Smart House is pretty clever after all.

SEPTEMBER 23TH, 2014

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

First occupanciesat NicholasOver 300 new residents prepare to move in toNicholas (Toronto). The 35 story CORE-designedbuilding offers residents unsurpassed views of thecity, along with Cecconi Simone designed interiorsand all the best of Bloor Bay Living. Lucky bunch.

SEPTEMBER 22TH, 2014

Glasshouse Winnipeg breaks ground,launching our “it’s happening” campaignWith our partners, purchasers and local media looking on, we broke ground onour Glasshouse development in Winnipeg and also launched our "Glasshouse ishappening" campaign, conveying that Glasshouse is the place you want to be andthat a new condominium is actually being built in downtown Winnipeg (gasp!).

JUNE 25TH, 2014

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NOVEMBER 12TH, 2014

A groundbreaking day on Queen St WestIn front of a large crowd of purchasers,consultants and curious Queen Streetshoppers, we broke ground on Smart House,our much talked about micro-condodevelopment. After a quick set of speechesand the celebratory dig, we took the partyacross the street to celebrate at Note Bene,one of the best restaurants in the city.

NOVEMBER 5TH, 2014

East vs WestEver attempted to tell someone from Parkdale whyliving in the Beach is the best? Or tried to explain tosomeone from Leslieville how Dundas West really isfamily friendly. If you're from Toronto, you know thedebate. It's in your blood. Is there any question thatyour side is better? Of course not. But we wanted toend the debate once and for all, so we held a veryTorontonian event, complete with local celebrities, foodtrucks, ample craft beer and heated (but polite)discussion. Read about it on Page 46.

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

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Southport andHalifax have anhistoric nightOr so we're told. Getting zoningapproval in Halifax is notoriouslydifficult. So when we decided todo a condominium on thepeninsula, red flags startedpopping up. Launching a projectwithout full approvals in this cityis frankly unheard of, but wedamned the torpedoes. After ayear of planning work (and withthe building almost completelysold out), our application passedcouncil unanimously onNovember 18th. We sighed acollective sigh of relief, andproceeded with a celebratorygroundbreaking party we had(very optimistically) scheduledfor two days later.

NOVEMBER 18TH-2OTH, 2014

changes your perspect ive

Now UnderConstruction

OUR PORTFOLIO

20142014

CENTRAL 2

NICHOLAS

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COMPLETED 2014

NICHOLASNicholas Residences is set on charming 19th century cobblestoned St Nicholas Street, immediately south of Bay, Bloor and Yorkville, stepsfrom one of North America's premier retail neighbourhoods.

By carefully incorporating the Planing Mill Building as a designelement in its base, and by adding a series of contemporary brick facedtownhouses, Nicholas stays true to the street's beauty and heritage.And with its elegantly simple modern glass tower above, Nicholas trulycreates a classic new address.

NICHOLAS, TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Residential glass tower located on cobblestoned St. Nicholas Street,

just south of toronto’s premier shopping district, and incorporatingthe heritage Planing Mill Building at its base

SIZE/PROGRAM 35 storey tower containing 308 units

LOCATION 75 St. Nicholas Street

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Core ArchitectsInterior Design: Cecconi Simone

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Alit Developments, Tel Aviv

COMPLETED 2014

WEBSITE nicholasresidences.com URB

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CENTRAL 2

NICHOLAS

CENTRAL 2Central 2 is the second phase of Urban Capital's three phase, 540 unitLEED Gold “Central” development in Ottawa's Centretown. The 9 storeybuilding continues the mid-rise form and loft-style interior design ofCentral Phase 1, completed in 2012. The project is also home to the firstLCBO ever to be located in a residential condominium development.

CENTRAL 2, OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION Phase 2 of Urban Capital's three phase 540 unit

Central development

SIZE/PROGRAM 9 storey mid-rise building containing141 units and a 4,500 sf LCBO

LOCATION Centretown, Ottawa

DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design: Core Architects

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Taggart Group, Ottawa

COMPLETED 2014

WEBSITE centralcondominiums.com

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COMPLETED 2014

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RIVER CITY 2 TOR RIVER CITY 1

GLASSHOUSE WPG

SOUTHPORT RC3HFX

SMARTHOUSE OTTAWATOR

TORTABLEAU

NICHOLASTRINITY BELLWOODSCENTRAL 2BOUTIQUEMONDRIANEAST MARKETMcGILL OUESTST. ANDREW ON THE GREENCHARLOTTE LOFTSCAMDEN LOFTS

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Toronto’s first purposely-designed

“micro-condo” development, focusingon “smart” design to deliver highlyfunctional space at an affordable price

SIZE/PROGRAM 25 storey tower containing 251 micro-condos and 25,000 square feet ofretail and office space

LOCATION Queen and University, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: architects AllianceInterior Design: II BY IV Design

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Malibu Investments, Toronto

ESTIMATED COMPLETION 2017

WEBSITE smarthousetoronto.com


GLASSHOUSE WPG

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PRE-CONSTRUCTION // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION The third phase of Urban Capital’s

1,100 unit LEED Gold River Citydevelopment, RC3 is a 29 storeyarchitectural icon described by JohnBentley Mays as “among the mostartistically exciting high-rises [to be]constructed in Toronto since the onsetof the condo boom.”

SIZE/PROGRAM 29 storey tower containing 333 loft-style units, extensive amenities andground floor townhouses and retail

LOCATION West Don Lands, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Saucier + PerrotteArchitectes with ZAS ArchitectsInterior Design: Saucier + PerrotteArchitectes


WEBSITE extremearchitecture.ca


GLASSHOUSE WPG

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PRE-CONSTRUCTION // OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION Ottawa’s version of Smart House

Toronto, bringing Urban Capital’s microcondo concept to the nation’s capital

SIZE/PROGRAM 9 storey mid-rise building containing151 micro-condos and 5,000 squarefeet of ground floor retail space.


DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design: Rod Lahey Architects



WEBSITE smarthouseottawa.com


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UNDER CONSTRUCTION // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Mixed-use development centred around

a 3 metre structural “table” at the fifthlevel, with residential suites “above thetable”; condominium amenities “on thetable”; and commercial and retail space,plus a public plaza featuring a 30 mhigh art piece “below the table”

SIZE/PROGRAM 36 storey tower containing 410 unitsand 25,000 sf of commercial space

LOCATION Entertainment District, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Rudy Wallman ArchitectsInterior Design: Cecconi SimoneLandscape Architect: Claude CormierArtist: Shayne Dark

DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS Malibu Investments, TorontoAlit Developments, Tel Aviv


WEBSITE tableaucondos.com


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UNDER CONSTRUCTION // WINNIPEGPROJECT DESCRIPTION A component of the Centrepoint

development (also containing an AltHotel, office space and 2 restaurants),and the first glass condominium towerin downtown Winnipeg

SIZE/PROGRAM 21 storey tower containing 195 loft-style condominiums

LOCATION Downtown SHED District, Winnipeg

DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design:Stantec


WEBSITE glasshousewinnipeg.com


GLASSHOUSE WPG

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION // HALIFAXPROJECT DESCRIPTION Urban Capital’s first development on

the east coast, designed as anarchitectural nod to the shippingcontainers located in the adjacent port area

SIZE/PROGRAM 6 storey mid-rise building containing142 loft-style units

LOCATION South End, Halifax

DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design: RAW Design

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Killam Properties, Halifax


WEBSITE southporthalifax.com

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RIVER CITY TOR

TORTABLEAU

NICHOLASTRINITY BELLWOODSHIDEAWAYBOUTIQUEMONDRIANEAST MARKETMcGILL OUESTST. ANDREW ON THE GREENCHARLOTTE LOFTS

CENTRAL 1CAMDEN LOFTS

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UNDER-CONSTRUCTION // OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION Phase 3 of Urban Capital’s 540 unit

mixed-use LEED Gold “Central”development, Hideaway continuesUrban Capital’s portfolio of high-designurban living buildings in the nation’scapital

SIZE/PROGRAM 9 storey mixed use building containing162 units and extensive indoor andoutdoor amenities


DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design: CORE Architects



WEBSITE hideawayatcentral.com


GLASSHOUSE WPG

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Consisting of three “mini-towers”

connected by glass bridges, the secondphase of Urban Capital’s 1,100 unitLEED Gold River City development is aglossy white counterpoint to the matteblack of Phase 1

SIZE/PROGRAM Three 12-storey mini-towers containing249 units




WEBSITE rivercitytoronto.com

COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION First phase of the 1,100 unit, Saucier

+ Perrotte designed LEED Gold andcarbon neutral River City development

SIZE/PROGRAM 16 storey and 7 storey buildings,connected by a four storey bridge,containing a total of 349 units, plusapproximately 4,500 square feet ofretail



COMPLETED 2013

WEBSITE rivercitytoronto.com


GLASSHOUSE WPG

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COMPLETED // OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION The first phase of Urban Capital’s

540 unit LEED Gold “Central”development, located in a formerlyvacant strip of Bank Street betweendowntown and the Glebe

SIZE/PROGRAM 10 storey building containing 239units and approximately 20,000 squarefeet of retail space


DESIGN TEAM Architecture and Interior Design: CORE Architects


COMPLETED 2012

COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Two phase urban condominium

development at the nexus of theEntertainment and Financial Districts,offering a combination of condominiumfeatures and boutique hotel-styleamenities

SIZE/PROGRAM 35 storey tower and 16 storey mid-risebuilding containing a total of 637 units

LOCATION Entertainment District, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: CORE ArchitectsInterior Design: Cecconi Simone


COMPLETED 2011

COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Contemporary designed freehold

townhouse development

SIZE/PROGRAM 45 townhomes ranging in size from1,900 to 2,650 square feet

LOCATION Little Italy, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Richard Wengle ArchitectsInterior Design: Cecconi Simone

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Shram Homes, Toronto

COMPLETED 2013

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COMPLETED // OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION Urban Capital’s first foray outside of

Toronto, introducing the company’ssignature architecture, interior designand affordable loft-style units to theOttawa market and becoming thecatalyst for the city’s subsequent condo boom

SIZE/PROGRAM 420 residential units over three phases

LOCATION Byward Market, Ottawa



COMPLETED 2008

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COMPLETED // MONTREALPROJECT DESCRIPTION Two phase glass and brick building,

Urban Capital’s Montreal development

SIZE/PROGRAM 9 storey midrise building containing244 units

LOCATION West of Old Montreal


DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Metropolitan Parking, Montreal

COMPLETED 2008

RIVER CITY TOR

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COMPLETED // OTTAWAPROJECT DESCRIPTION Glass tower with red glass panels

interspersed among the linear windowsystem, as an homage to Dutch painterPiet Mondrian

SIZE/PROGRAM 23 storey building containing 249units, sitting atop a five storey publicparking podium enclosed in a glassscreen

LOCATION Downtown Ottawa



COMPLETED 2011

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COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Urban Capital’s second development in

the King-Spadina area, designed with abrick base and a lighter stepped backupper portion in order to relate to itshistoric warehouse neighbours whileremaining true to its modern design

SIZE/PROGRAM 13 storey building containing 66 units

LOCATION King-Spadina, Toronto


DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Chard Developments, Vancouver

COMPLETED 2002

COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION This is the building that started it all.

Launched when residentialdevelopment was not actuallypermitted in the area (the projectrequired special city council approval),this seminal development created aprecedent for the subsequentresidential projects that ultimatelyredefined the neighbourhood


LOCATION King-Spadina, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Core Architects andOleson Worland ArchitectsInterior Design: Cecconi Simone

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Dundee Realty, Toronto

COMPLETED 1999

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COMPLETED // TORONTOPROJECT DESCRIPTION Finely proportioned terraced building

overlooking the Islington Golf Club


LOCATION Etobicoke, Toronto

DESIGN TEAM Architecture: Turner Fleischer ArchitectsInterior Design: Bryon Patton


COMPLETED 2006

RIVER CITY TOR

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DESIGN FOR THE PEOPLE

BY AUSTIN MACDONALD

Since taking over Toronto's Design Exchange in 2012,Shauna Levy, with the support of Urban Capital, hasreenergized this 25 year old institution, making it relevantto the general public and the design industry alike.

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y reviving Toronto’s Design Exchange,President Shauna Levy leads a populistuprising in Canadian design.

Hussein Chalayan’s “After Words” (see page32) is the centerpiece of the DesignExchange’s latest show, Politics of Fashion |Fashion of Politics, guest curated byCanadian fashionista Jeanne Beker. Initially,the simple five-piece living room seemsoddball. Then, an explanatory video showsfive models transforming the furniture intoclothes. Once dressed, they vanish with theliving room on their backs.

Designed as a commentary on war anddisplacement, Chalayan’s wearable décoritems are the artifacts from a performancepiece that was the finale of his Autumn/Winter 2000-2001 fashion show. It’s a realshowstopper. At second glance, with theknowledge that furniture was intended forthose unexpectedly on the go, the loungespace looks decidedly less comfortable.Indeed: “Do not sit.”

Politics of Fashion is the Design Exchange’ssecond original exhibition and emblematicof President Shauna Levy’s bold newdirection. Appointed in March 2012, Levyhas revived the venue with an excitingapproach, emphasizing robust programmingand community outreach. She’s adamantabout making the Design Exchange “fun,”“entertaining” and “democratic.”

“We made a very conscientious decision as aboard three years ago to depart from the oldDesign Exchange that maybe people knewabout but perhaps didn’t pay much attentionto,” Levy offers.

“I think in the last two and a half years wehave earned a lot of credibility. Ourattendance has never been higher,sponsorship is growing and media coverage isincreasing,” she explains. “Politics of Fashionis unprecedented and will be another strongmoment for us in terms of our building andgrowing the institution.”

These early victories have been a result ofLevy’s innovative approach. “You have toengage people about design in the way thatthey can relate and are interested,” Levy says.“We’re unique in how we use design as a‘viewfinder’ to look at society and events. It’salmost anthropological.”

“We’d never just do an exhibition on chairs,there would always be other layers,” she adds.For example, This Is Not A Toy (guest curatedby Pharell Williams) was an intersection ofart, fashion, industrial design, graphic designand music.”

In a sense, Levy is being pragmatic. “Today,design culture is very much entrenched inevery aspect of life. Just going to a restaurantcan be an amazing design experience,” shesays. “So at the museum we have to be able tocompete with that.”

Among Canadians, Levy is perhaps uniquelyqualified for this role. Prior to the DX, she co-founded and ran Toronto’s Interior DesignShow for over a decade. “IDS was really aboutdemocratizing design,” she says. “Whatexcited me most at the DX was the comingtogether of all kinds of design—from basichuman needs all the way to luxury—andnurturing this very broad conversation.”

Going forward, Levy envisions nothing lessthan transforming Design Exchange intoCanada’s leading voice in design innovationat home, and an ambassador for Made-In-Canada creativity on the world stage.

“We are pushing the institution forward atbreakneck speed, and our aspirations arepretty big. The next five years will be a veryexciting time for Design Exchange.”

Appointed in March 2012, DesignExchange President Shauna Levyquickly strung together a quartet ofshows which provided an earlyglimpse of her big ambitions forToronto’s design museum.

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THE HAPPY SHOW JANUARY 9TO MARCH 3, 2013

STEFAN SAGMEISTER

Design Exchange’s first exhibitionwith Shauna Levy as its Presidentwas the Canadian premier ofStefan Sagmeister’s The HappyShow, originally exhibited byPhiladelphia’s Institute ofContemporary Art. It showed theveteran New York graphicdesigner’s playful meditation onindividuals’ happiness in modernsociety.

“It was really a breath of fresh airin January. A burst of energyduring Toronto’s coldest anddarkest months,” Levy recalls.

Sagmeister designed the exhibitionas a rousing visual assault, usinggigantic bright yellow panels asoversized infographics. The largesurfaces were riddled with jarringeye candy: graphs, statistics andeasily digestible and provocativeblurbs and factoids about thehuman condition. Other panelsincluded Sagmeister’s designymaxims from his journal.

The Happy Show’s mid-winterpromise of exhilaration luredhibernating Torontonians out oftheir dens and into the DX. Oncethere, Sagmeister enticed them tointeract. At the entrance, he set upa bubblegum poll, asking people toscore their moods by taking ayellow gumball from one of tennumbered machines. The poll’sresults appeared as the gumballmachines’ glass cylinders emptied.

Elsewhere, a visitor’s physicalexertion on a stationary bicycleilluminated large neon lights withdifferent inspirational messages.

“What I loved about this show isthat it was interactive, which isreally important to us.” Levy says.“At the end of the day cultureshould be fun.”

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“I like the idea of doing somethingfashion-related at least once ayear,” Levy said. “When you look atall the different aspects of design,one that seems among the easiestto communicate to a broaderaudience is fashion.”

With this in mind, Levy bookedChristian Louboutin, anothertravelling exhibition, to show at theDX. It was a tour de force withpieces gathered from thedesigner’s personal archive andcurated to reveal all his pizazz andcreativity.

The show had already been a hitduring its first run at London’sDesign Museum. “It made sense tobring in a traveling show that hada proven track record coming froman internationally acclaimed

museum,” she said. At this earlystage in the DX’s revitalization, shehoped the fanfare from across thepond would translate into strongattendance here.

In the end, it did. The showattracted people from all walks oflife, including a large number ofSex And The City faithful. “Thepeople who came to the show, yes,were those who wear Louboutins,but also those who aspire to wearthem. And most of all, for mostpeople it was just a fun andmagical experience.”

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN JUNE 21 TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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For the DX’s third show, a Torontocollector approached Levy with anidea for an exhibition on urban vinyland designer art toys. Next, herecruited singer Pharrell Williams tobe the guest curator. Williams did sogladly—he’s an urban vinyl collectortoo. In addition to curating pro-bono,Williams helped bring in some of theartists and lent some pieces from hisown collection for the show. After alarge collective effort, This Is Not AToy was Design Exchange’s firstoriginal show and the world’s firstfull-scale exhibition of designer toys.

“Pharrell Williams personifies wherewe are hoping to go as a culturalinstitution—an understanding of theinterrelationships between designdisciplines and all creativity, for thatmatter. I heard Pharrell talk in apanel at Design Miami and I wasimmediately impacted by how heeffortlessly segued between fashion,architecture and hip-hop, and veryclearly drew the relationshipsbetween them,” Levy says. “We laterdiscussed bringing him to DX for anumber of programs but he was mostexcited about this.”

This Is Not A Toy became a world-class opportunity for collectors andthe uninitiated alike to discover thevast, intricate and colourful universeof designer toys. These limitededition sculptures in ABS plastic orvinyl have become highly collectiblesince the 90s.

For DX, the show was a big success,attracting record attendance. Levyalso received several requests to tourthe show internationally.

THIS IS NOT A TOY FEBRUARY 7 TOMAY 19, 2014

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014TO JANUARY 25, 2015

“Jeanne Beker has been veryinspiring to many of us,” says Levy ofDesign Exchange’s latest guestcurator. “She is a fashion icon andthrough her 25 years as host ofFashion Television, has played aprominent role in thedemocratization of design inCanada.”

In early 2014, Levy approachedBeker to discuss ideas forcollaborating on a show. Bekeroutlined the beginnings of what avery short time later would becomePolitics Of Fashion | Fashion OfPolitics. Beker and Design Exchangecurator Sara Nicholson put the showtogether in just six months.

“I think it’s unprecedented. It’s not atraditional show for a Canadianmuseum,” Levy explains on the eveof the vernissage. “The content andexhibition design could be moreeasily found in Paris’ Palais de Tokyothan on Bay Street in Toronto.” It hasa strong subversive countercultureapproach. From an aestheticperspective my best comparisonwould be Dover Street market.”

So far in the lead up, Levy says theresponse from media, RSVPs to theopening and ticket sales have beenthrough the roof. “I hope it will beanother seminal moment in thegrowing up of Canada’s DesignMuseum, and the appreciation ofdesign in Canada, at large.” UC

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POLITICS OF FASHION

Urban Capital has been a majorcorporate sponsor of the DX since 2012.

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BY STEVEN BARR

Michael McCann is one of the fewremaining architectural renderers whoworks in watercolour. He’s also a worldrenowned artist who insists on being atthe design table from Day 1. And that’sjust what Urban Capital wanted for itsmulti-phase Ravine development inToronto’s York Mills neighbourhood.

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Watercolour is dead.It didn’t stand a chance.

t a certain point architectural renderings,like all things on planet earth, enteredthe digital age. And for all the logical

reasons. Computer generated images arecheaper, easier, and faster to produce, and waymore flexible for client revisions, changes tobuilding plans, and so on. Digital opened thedoor for a whole new set of rendering artists,and with it increased competition and everdecreasing prices.

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One quick Google search illustrates thepoint: search “cheapest architecturalrenderings” and about halfway down the firstpage you can get a 3D computer image for$150. They are terrible renderings. However,keep scrolling because there’s a companydoing them for $250 – and they’re notcompletely awful. They’re somewhatphotorealistic, and although they may lackdepth, lighting, composition, and mood, theyare efficient representations of proposedprojects. Are they bland and boring? Yes, butwho cares, they serve their purpose and youmove on.

But for developments that need to tell a storyor express something beyond the basicmassing of a building, the architecturalrendering takes on a different role. Itbecomes about emotion. And while there arevery talented, experienced digital renderersfit for the task, often there is no match forthe romance of the hand-drawn watercolour.

THE ROMANCERWorld-renowned architectural rendererMichael McCann will tell you thatwatercolours aren’t dead; it’s the cold,lifeless computer generated renderings thatare the dead ones.

McCann explains: “watercolour is an exerciseof pure design, whereas the computer givesyou details where you don’t necessarily wantto see them yet.” The impressionist qualitiesof watercolour force the viewer’simagination to complete the image, therebycreating an active relationship betweenimage and viewer.

Digital imaging, by virtue of its unwaveringprecision, is about objectivity of materials,and struggles to create that same activerelationship. McCann argues thatarchitectural renderings, as vehicles forstorytelling, are stunted by the newtechnology. In his view, regardless of yourpersonal preference, categorically onemedium is better at activating audiences.

DESIGN BY WATERCOLOURFor McCann the core issue isn’t just thatone is better than the other. His biggerpoint is that digital technology has killedthe most valuable part of design – theconcept stage.

In the olden days the concept stage was achance for architects, designers andrendering artists to sit together in a room,sketch ideas and solve design problems.McCann and others before him have arguedin the digital age people don’t actuallyknow how to draw anymore, and usecomputers to jump right into the finishedproduct. In a 2012 New York Times piece,architect Michael Graves concurs:“Architecture cannot divorce itself fromdrawing, no matter how impressive thetechnology gets. Drawings are not just endproducts, they are part of the thoughtprocess of architectural design.”

With over 40 years of working with topnames in architecture and urban planning,Michael McCann’s strength is his ability tocome to the table in early concept stage tohelp clarify and stimulate the designprocess. In a sense, his watercolour

paintings are a bi-product of this. Hisportfolio includes commissions for NewYork’s East River Master Plan, Euro Disney,Harvard Law School, Washington DC’s 100Year Master Plan, Chicago’s MillenniumPark, the World Trade Centre Master Plan,the Palace of Prince Satam of Saudi Arabia,and Pearson International Airport. He’sworked alongside globally renownedarchitects including James Sterling, RobertStern, Michael Graves, and Philip Johnson.

McCann’s watercolour style (not tomention the associated cost) is notnecessarily suited for every condo project.Nor does every little infill project need itsown laborious concept stage.

But sites of a particular scale or uniquelocation can offer a canvas befitting only awatercolour painting and the conceptualstrength that McCann brings.

A PERFECT MATCHUrban Capital has worked with McCann ona number of past projects, including therecently completed Nicholas tower (seepage 18) and a proposed 16 acre mixed-usedevelopment in downtown Mississauga(profiled in 2012’s Urban Capital Magazine).

The latest collaboration is a new master-planned community called The Ravine, ajoint development between Urban Capitaland Alit Developments. A 14 acre site atthe intersection of York Mills and ValleyWoods Roads, adjacent to the Don ValleyParkway, The Ravine cradles the north andwest boundaries of Brookbanks Park andU

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ravine. The development consists of eightbuildings carefully placed around thenatural parklands. It represents a new,modern vision for a community initiallydeveloped in the 1960s as part of the DonMills Master Plan.

Work on The Ravine began with McCannpainting the initial rendering seen above(first at left). This is what the actual riverrunning through Brookbanks Park lookslike. And that painting became thebeginning of The Ravine’s story. Itinformed how integral the ravine would beto the development, and how thearchitecture – and the overall approach –would fit within the ravine setting.

McCann continued working closely withthe design team to develop the wholeconcept, from the building exterior to thelobby and the outdoor amenity spaces. Hisinvolvement continues today with input onthe marketing and communicationsprogram.

Michael McCann’s paintings will be centrestage in the sales pavilion when theRavine’s launch takes place in early 2015.And will establish that watercolourrendering is indeed alive and well. UC

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Other McCann renderings of Urban Capital developments(L to R clockwise):. Burnamthorpe Tower, Mississauga. Lobby, Nicholas. Planing Mill Building, Nicholas

Michael McCann’s watercolourrenderings for Urban Capital’smulti-phase Ravine development

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Winnipeg’s collection of early 20th Centurybuildings is unrivalled in this country, anational treasure frozen in time by a series ofunfortunate circumstances.

n the centre of Canada sits an architectural time machine of a distinct period in history, an era of unparalleled promise that fell victim to its

time and circumstance.

That time machine is the Exchange District indowntown Winnipeg, which remains largely as it wasin 1918. And in 1918 it was fantastic.

FROZENIN TIMEBY SHERRIL MATTHES,WITH EXCERPTS FROM ‘CITY BEAUTIFUL’ BY RANDY TURNER, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEIF NORMAN

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BANNATYNE

IMPERIAL BANK

THE HAMILTON BANK BUILDING THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA BUILDING

THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY CHAMBERS

THE MARRIAGI HOTEL

THE KELLY BUILDING

GRAIN EXCHANGE BUILDINGS I & II

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“It was a city of tremendous bustle. Real bare-knuckle capitalism”, says Dr. Frank Albo, arthistorian and author. “The most economicallyaggressive city in North America, it was aplace for risk-takers, tycoons and gamblers.And if you really wanted to make your markas an ambitious builder, Winnipeg would be agreat place to make a start.”

On one day alone in 1912, 3,500 peoplestepped off trains into Union Station,designed by the architects of Grand CentralStation, and the CPR Station, with its“dramatic portico, richly ornamented facades,and grand rotundo.”

These are just two of many examples of adesign and construction era ruled by theanticipation of massive growth. Winnipegwas the Chicago, the New York, of the north.The city had swelled from 42,000 people in1901 to 160,000 by 1916. In 1911, there was apush toward a population of one million by1922.

So Winnipeg was designed and built with noholds barred. Bankers Row included the Bankof Montreal at Portage and Main, with theworld’s largest vault; the Union Bank, thefirst and tallest steel-frame skyscraper inCanada; the Bank of Toronto, with neo-classical Corinthian columns; the Royal Bank,with a rare Italian Palazzo style facade; andthe Imperial Bank of Canada’s neo-classicstone exterior and marble, mahogany andbronze foyer.

Beyond the banks, the Fort Garry Hotel,opened in 1913, was the tallest structure inthe city, based on the chateau-form style ofNew York’s Plaza Hotel. The ExchangeDistrict was booming with warehouses, officebuildings and all manner of entertainment,built of limestone and Kenora granite, withadorned doorways, graceful arches and asymmetry of strength that has sincewithstood harsh elements and economies.

Residents of the day could see CharlieChaplin at the Empress Theatre or W.C.Fields at the Orpheum Theatre on FortStreet, in a vaudeville district that attractedthe world’s most renowned entertainers. Orthey could take in Madame Butterfly at theWalker Theatre, with its ivory covered wallsand plush red seats.

At nightfall, farmhands and railway workersflooded in to blow their wages in Main Streetbars and the plentiful and welcomingwhorehouses in Point Douglas, home toMadame Minnie Woods, Queen of Brothels,and some 200 ladies of the evening.

It was glamour, growth, greed and gallcombined. And it was about to be challengedby time and circumstance.

In 1914, the Panama Canal opened,providing a short cut for transporting goodsto the Pacific Ocean and North America’swest coast.

The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, whichstemmed from festering living conditions ina city of two financial solitudes, gave pauseto potential entrepreneurs who could nowseek their fortunes in Edmonton, Calgaryand Vancouver.

And the outbreak of the First World Warcompletely froze European (mostly British)investment in Winnipeg real estate. TheGreat Depression followed, leading almostdirectly into the start of the Second WorldWar.

The Million by 1922 campaign? Well, theprovince finally broke the one-million barrierin 1976. UC

SOME OF WINNIPEG’S MORE NOTABLE TURN-OF-LAST-CENTURY EDIFICES, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

THE KELLY BUILDING AND THE BANNATYNE BLOCK, 1905The Bannatyne Block got its start in the early 1880s, atthe time of Winnipeg’s initial boom. One of its morecolourful elements is the Kelly Building, built in 1905by Thomas Kelly. In 1912 the Kelly Brothers receivedtheir most prestigious contract – the construction of theManitoba Legislative Building. Almost immediatelythere was controversy around it, and a RoyalCommission later determined over-payments to Kelly inexcess of $800,000. He fled to Chicago, but was laterextradited to Winnipeg where he was found guilty ofembezzlement and fraud and sentenced to two and ahalf years in the Stony Mountain Penitentiary.

GRAIN EXCHANGE BUILDINGS, 1892 & 1898The Grain Exchange was founded in 1887 as a placefor buyers and sellers to meet and conduct business,establish rules of trade and create a link with

international markets. In 1892 the first Grain ExchangeBuilding was completed and in 1898 a second buildingwas added immediately to the south. More buildingswere added in 1902, and by 1908 the Grain Exchangerelocated to larger quarters on Lombard Avenue.

IMPERIAL BANK, 1906Neo-Classical in style, the Imperial Bank’s ornate stoneclad exterior was matched by the marble, mahogany andbronze accenting in the foyer, main banking hall andbasement vault. The third floor featured living quarters,bathrooms, a dining room and a clubroom for staff.

THE MARRIAGI HOTEL, 1903In 1903 Frank Mariaggi, who had come west with theRed River Expedition in 1871, created a luxuriousEuropean-style hotel from what was originally anapartment block. Like no other in Winnipeg, the Mariaggiboasted running water, a passenger elevator, steam heat,electric lights, telephones, brass beds and velvet carpets.For all the luxury on the upper floors, the most impressivepart of the building was the basement. Known as “TheGrotto,” the space had four cave-shaped dining roomswith a waterfall that splashed into a goldfish pond.

THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA BUILDING, 1909Italian Palazzo in style, and clad in pink granite, all toconvey an image of corporate strength and security, theRoyal Bank Building featured bronze doors, oakwoodwork, and skylights that illuminated the interior.Marble was used for floors and walls, as well as thestaircase, counters (with bronze cages), chequing desksand benches.

THE HAMILTON BANK BUILDING, 1918Completed in 1918 at a cost of $400,000, theHamilton Bank Building was the last major officebuilding built during Winnipeg’s early boom. HamiltonBank later merged with the Bank of Commerce, so thisbuilding is today CIBC’s contribution to the city’s“Banker’s Row”.

THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY CHAMBERS, 1912The Winnipeg Electric Railway Company translated itslocal electricity monopoly into considerable wealth andinfluence. When a new headquarters was required, thecompany built one of the city’s most spectacularstructures. The company lit the exterior with 6000 lights,a feature that continues to light up the night sky today.

The most economically aggressive city inNorth America, it was a place for risk-takers,tycoons and gamblers.

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n September 2014, Vogue magazinereleased a “Global Street Style Report,”the definitive ranking of the world’s

“coolest neighbourhoods.” In second place,behind Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, wasToronto’s Queen St. West, chosen byVogue’s editors as a smart-yet-matter-of-fact paragon of urban cool. However,Vogue’s pronouncement was just the latestconfirmation of what many locals alreadyknew: Toronto isn’t merely the capital ofOntario anymore, it’s a bona fide capital ofglobal culture.

Reflecting on nearly three decades in thepublishing business, Nelda Rodger, co-founder and Editorial Director of Azure, aToronto-based architecture and designmagazine, is sanguine about her city’sgrowing recognition as one of the premieroutposts of forward-thinking, grassrootsdesign sensibilities. After all, sheremembers, at the magazine’s inceptionthe word “designer” was practicallyunheard of in Canada, except in referenceto “designer jeans.”

“When we started in 1985, there was noreal design consciousness in NorthAmerica. Most people didn’t know what adesigner did,” Rodger recalls. Over thecourse of Azure’s existence, a lot haschanged. Yet, she minimizes Azure’s rolein the shift. “I don’t think we can take fullresponsibility for anything. We’ve been animportant source of information for the

design community and have actively triedto bring ideas, images and different pointsof view from around the world to ourreadership.”

THE HOMECOMINGStill, it would seem that over the past 30years, as goes Toronto so goes Azure.

And in what’s likely to be an apt moment,for its May 2015 thirtieth anniversary issue,Azure will celebrate by paying homage toits hometown. “It will be something specialon Toronto, that’s what we can tell you.Our editors are working on special contentabout what is happening here,” says SergioSgaramella, Azure’s other co-founder andPublisher, “something that we usually don’tspecifically focus on.”

“We talk about Toronto all the time,”interjects Rodger. “We are very clearly fromToronto, of Toronto, but normally it’s not aparticular focus for us. But Toronto is areally interesting place right now. You’d beamazed by what’s happening here, it’scrazy,” she says, referring to the rampantgrowth the city is undergoing.

“People are crazy,” Sgaramella jokes,alluding to the reality of living in Toronto –like the rigours of dodging potholes,rollerbladers and even the occasionalunicyclist in an increasingly high-stakesand multimodal daily commute.

Despite its shortcomings, in the end,Azure’s duo agrees that Toronto is an ideawhose time has come.

FROM HOGTOWN TO MANHATTANToronto has experienced a tipping pointthat has allowed a globalized culture toflourish—fueled by the speed of the digitalage and a newfound prosperity. “In the20th century, Canada was still a youngcountry without a strong and establishedcultural heritage,” Rodger comments. “Ithad a large immigrant population that wasdealing with first-degree problems. Certainthings have to be in place before you canbegin to create an aesthetic culture.”.

“Now Toronto is more of a place thatpeople feel a connection to, somewherewhere they want to be,” she adds, referringto the newest Torontonians’ emotional andcreative investments in the city, which paydividends in the form of theircontributions.

With a forest of cranes outlined in theskies, Toronto is currently undergoing anintensive Manhattanization.

“That gives you an idea how much thingshave changed,” says Sgaramella, picking upthe thread. “There’s a mass of people, theyounger generation, that is verycomfortable with the design fields; theywant to become architects or industrialdesigners, fashion designers, and graphic

HAND IN HAND

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Azure co-founders Nelda Rodger and Sergio Sgaramellafostered Canada’s design culture through its infancy andhave recently seen Toronto, their magazine’s hometown,flourish into a global capital of design and urban cool.

BY AUSTIN MACDONALD

designers. Design has become an area ofbroad interest for this demographic.Previously, architecture and designbelonged more to an elite.”

THE OTHER FASHION CAPITAL Similar to Toronto’s coming-of-age, Azure’sgrowing success has benefited from outsideinfluences. Azure’s spiritual birthplace isMilan, Italy, where Rodger and Sgaramellafirst met in the 1970s.

Rodger, who studied fashion design inMilan, credits the Lombard city with theawakening of her design sensibilities.“What I found fascinating about it was thateverything was designed. You’d lookaround and things that in North Americawere just left to chance, there would begiven a conscious effort.”

By way of illustration for the uninitiated,Sgaramella, who was born in Milan, adds,“It’s the way in which the bread isdisplayed in the bakeries, or the way thecold cuts are displayed in a butcher shop.They instinctively express themselves.”

PRE-INTERNETRodger and Sgaramella launched Azure inthe mid-1980s during the heyday of printin North America—before thepopularization of the Internet.

Today, they are immersed in the digitalworld and the rapidly changing medialandscape, overseeing two active websites– azuremagazine.com anddesignlinesmagazine.com. However, theirflagship product for the foreseeable futureremains an oversized print magazine witheye-popping layout and high productionvalues. Toronto brand strategy firmConcrete Design Communications

designed the current version of themagazine’s look and feel in 2010, followed by a redo of the magazine’swebsite in 2012.

“We felt the need to make changes, likemaking the graphics stronger andsupplying content that catered to a moremainstream audience, with the goal ofmaking it more inclusive,” Sgaramella says.

L’OBJETThe publishers of Azure havedifferentiated their magazine from the restof the titles on the rapidly shrinkingneighbourhood newsstand by making thepublication an object in itself.

“I personally think that print will continueto exist, as long as it’s perceived as havingvalue as an object. Not just a content value,but also a visual value which is moredifficult to achieve on a screen,” hesuggests. “If there’s going to be print, andthat’s a question for the next few years,maybe it becomes a more aestheticpleasure.”

“In addition to magazines that have uniquecontent, a point of view and something tosay, like the New Yorker or The Atlantic, thepossibility exists for a magazine like oursto also have a visual criterion, that willperhaps help us to continue to produce themagazine in print.”

SAY SOMETHING. SAY ANYTHINGAnother distinguishing feature of today’sAzure is a focus on slower content. “Pretty well anything you write abouttoday is already exposed,” Rodger muses.“Given that everything is consumed soquickly online it’s almost like notconsuming at all.” U

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Instead, she says Azure expresses a pointof view. “You have to take a stand onsomething, flesh it out and turn it intosomething worth delivering, otherwisethere’s no point. All the flavour andnuance of a topic can’t really betransmitted in a short blog post.”

“It’s kind of like reading a film reviewversus going to see the film. If you read areview you’ve got a basic idea of whathappened in the film, but you reallyhaven’t seen it,” says Rodger.

EH TO ZEDPerhaps contrary to all Canadian printpublishing industry outlooks at the time,Azure managed to increase its circulationin 2010. Along with their redesignedmagazine, Rodger and Sgaramellaaccomplished this by launching a newdesign competition, the AZ Awards.

“The spike in circulation had to do with theredesign but also the fact that we promotedthe magazine more, increased thevisibility, and announced the AZ Awardsfor 2011. So all these new initiatives gaveus more visibility internationally,” saysSgaramella. “We didn’t really know how itwas going to go. I was hoping to get twohundred entries.”

In the end, Azure received over 600 entriesfor the inaugural edition of the awards. “Wewere thrilled. It was huge,” Rodger recalls.

Sgaramella continues, “There is aninternational jury, the entries are from allover the world, from over thirty countries.The awards have been really good for usand they’ve definitely helped us gain morevisibility and also respect internationally.“

SYNCHED TRAJECTORIESThe success of the AZ Awards has capped along trajectory. “Sergio and I worked veryhard for many years developinginternational relationships for Azure;personal relationships with people in thedesign world, advertisers and subjects ofarticles. Perhaps that’s why the awardswere successful from the get-go,” saysRodger.

“Maybe with lots of money you couldlaunch something like the AZ Awards andmake it successful, but in the absence oflots of money, what you need is goodwill.People participated because we take thingsseriously and because of the standard ofquality we’ve always adhered to.”

Azure’s culmination has also been in synchwith Toronto’s. With their base in that city,Rodger and Sgaramella have borne witnessand contributed to the rise of the “designer”in Canada, and the increasing appetite forCanadian style and innovation abroad.

Three decades after Azure’s launch, Torontois looking more stylish than ever, and theworld has taken notice. Vogue haspronounced on the city’s street style; comeMay 2015 Azure will do the same for thecity‘s the other design fields. UC

Urban Capital has been a sponsor of the AZ Awards since 2013.

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It's an age-old question for the City of Toronto: which side rules, east or west? Totackle this zealous and passion-infused subject, River City hosted a curated panel ofnotable east and west end believers to debate on issues ranging from Toronto'sinfrastructure and liveability to entertainment and culture. The end result: a (somewhat)definitive, (kind of) once-and-for-all answer on which side of the city does it better.

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PRO EASTBeach resident and host on CityTV’sBreakfast Television, Jennifer Valentyneinjected the east end panel with her energeticpersonality and animated opinions, coupledwith immense knowledge of the ins and outsof Toronto’s hotspots.

Michael Hollett is the co-founder, co-owner,and Editor/Publisher of NOW Magazine,founder and director of North by NortheastMusic Festival and Conference, and a lifelongeast ender who now dwells in Riverdale.

PRO WESTParkdale denizen Roz Weston entertains aweekly audience of more than two millionCanadians with The Roz & Mocha Show onKiSS FM coupled with his gig as a host onEntertainment Tonight Canada. He's also nofan of the east end.

Co-founder of Toronto based music label Arts & Crafts, Jeffrey Remedios represents hisBellwoods home base. Originally from theeast but truly devoted to the west, Remediosknows this city through and through.

“There’s a lot more room for development in the east.And the east side rocks!”

“The east side is the future, it’s evolving all the time.We’ve got a great African neighbourhood emerging onthe Danforth between Donlands and Greenwood. TheBrickworks is a world-leading example for greening a

former industrial site. Regent Park is one of the prouderenterprises in Toronto today. It’s a miraculous redevelopment asis what’s happening right here in West Donlands. Because theeast has been a little neglected, now we’re harvesting. Wehaven’t peaked yet. You guys are kind of a spent force but we’reon the way up.”

“East York, Donlands and O’Connor, those areneighbourhoods with affordable housing that are beingrepopulated and reenergized. South Riverdale east ofPape and south of the Danforth – the deals are still

there.”

“In the east you’re getting in while you can. I thinkthere are a lot of options.”

“The reason I live in the east is highway access: I canget to the Gardiner, the DVP, Kingston Road. I feel likeI can get anywhere inside the city in 10 minutes.Travel here is more convenient whether you’re driving,

walking, taking a cab, riding a bike.”

“The parks on the west side are nature-as-zoo, they’retame and contained. If you go to Trinity Bellwoods youget a hacky sack in the head. You come to the DonValley, it’s still wild. Nature intrudes into the east side

of the city, the parks are more real and engaged.”

“The Scarborough Bluffs are unique, there’s nowhereelse like them in the world. I made out with everyboyfriend I ever had at the Bluffs.”

“When someone says, ‘Make me fall inlove with Toronto,’ when you want to seemlike a big shot, you show off the west.That’s the postcard Toronto, where Vogue

just nominated West Queen West the secondcoolest neighbourhood in the world. The east hasalways been a support system for the west, afarm team.”

“The great thing about the east is liveability. You getthe excitement of the big city but with a smallcommunity feel. The streets are wider and there aretrees everywhere. I think I might have a tree in my

living room.”

“Have you been to the Distillery district on Friday orSaturday night? They’ve got restaurants, galleries,cafes, that’s the place to be. If you lived here in RiverCity you could walk there.”

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CULTURE

RECREATION

INFRASTRUCTURE

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

You can still get yourfeet in the door in theeast, but in the westthose doors haveslammed shut.

SCOREBOARDEAST 2 WEST 2

The west is kind ofthere already, themomentum is now withthe east.

FINAL SCOREEAST 3 WEST 2

When it comes to coolthe west dominates.


The west has maturetrees but the east feelsgreener.


Say what you will aboutthe subway, it’s fasterand the west as yet hasmore of it.


T H E W E S TT H E E A S T T H E V E R D I C T

“Okay, our tennis courts at TrinityBellwoods are pretty crappy. I’m a tennisgeek – if someone invites me to play atKew Gardens I’ll go.”

“The west’s got the subway. I think theidea of the SmartTrack transit expansionproposal is to make the people in the eastfeel whole – that they are allowed to take

part finally. It’s going to be so much easier for eastenders to get to the west end.”

“There’s not much left that’s untapped inthe west. The east has tremendouspotential.”

“I honestly don’t know why someonewould want to live 20 feet from theGardiner - I saw a guy take milk out of hiscondo kitchen fridge as I was driving by

and could read the carton.”

“The only thing I knew about the Junctionwas that it was hell to get into and out of.Then people started investing emotionallyand now it’s a very cool place. You hear

about somewhere like Ossington that used to beall hardware stores, now it’s the coolest place inthe city.”

“Queen East is not the new Queen West,it’s the old Queen West. So much haschanged that what we have now in QueenEast is very reminiscent of what Queen

West used to be.”

TREND LINE

The shape of things to come at Sheppard and Allen Road.

Ushering in a new era at Sheppard Westwith smart, modern living and stylish,forward-thinking design.

And a subway entrance at your doorstep.

C O M I N G S O O N

FROM THE LOW $200s

futuracondos.com

CONDO DEVELOPMENT 101How to approach a new market (in 10 easy steps)From Ottawa back in 2001 to Montreal in 2003 and Winnipeg andHalifax in 2012, Urban Capital has foraged new trails, bringing tonew markets the condominium development savvy it has honed inthe hyper-competitive Toronto market. Herein, a brief roadmap ofthe steps UC takes when approaching a new market.

CANVASS THE FLIGHT OPTIONS.How do you get there? Is there a directflight from Toronto, and how frequent isit? Best days are when you can leave inthe morning and be back by dinner,without anyone knowing you’ve been away.

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FIGURE OUT IF THERE’S A MARKETIf you’re introducing a new housing optionin a new city, a market study may not bethe most useful; they tend to look at thingsretrospectively, not prospectively. Rather,trust your gut feeling – are there enough ofyour type of consumers, and if you build(or at least offer) it will they come?

CHECK OUT YOUR COMPETITION(IF ANY)Has the local developmentcommunity built anything likewhat you would propose, and ifso, how did they do? In Ottawa,Montreal and, to a lesser extent,Winnipeg and Halifax, we foundthat there were examples ofurban condominiums on themarket, but their design andmarketing were sounsophisticated that we knew wecould easily make a splash.

KNOW THE LOCAL CONDITIONSBeware of “This is the way it’s done inToronto” thinking. Understand the localcontext. In some cities your project willneed council approval, in others just astamp at a counter. Some markets haveno experience with pre-sales; preparefor thorough explanations. No marketlooks kindly on being told that your wayis the only way.

TALK TO A LAWYERBefore you get going on a site, you need to sit down with a locallawyer. Amongst other things, it’s good to know if your condosales agreements will be enforceable, and if you can usedeposits in your financing. In Pennsylvania, for example, they’renot and you can’t, which we learnt from a quick lawyers meetingbefore deciding not to proceed with a site we were working on.

JUMP IN.

TIE UP A SITEIf after all of the aboveyou’re still good to go,time to tie up a site.Best to option a site,or enter a conditionalpurchase, prior togoing in whole hog.

TAKE THE CITY FOR A TEST DRIVEOnce you have a site tiedup you should quickly geta basic design and brandin place, and spend a bitof money on advertisingand PR. If your websitelights up withregistrations, you knowyou’re on to somethinggood. If not, you need toproceed with a bit morecaution.

MEET THE LOCALSIt’s always best to have a local ally. Someone to tellyou if you’re paying too much for a piece of land, orif there’s something about your future site youmight not know about from a quick flight in. Localscan also help navigate City Hall, and lead you to theright consultants and contractor. Plus it’s nice to betaken to the right restaurants.

KNOW THELOCAL ECONOMICSSome markets look goodbecause land is cheap,but construction can turnout to be very expensive(Winnipeg). Little thingslike the GST rebate notbeing fully applicable(Montreal and Halifax)can cost you a lot ofmoney. Make sure all lineitems in your financialprojections have beenthoroughly “localconditions”-proofed.

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CURIORC3 in Lego

What better way to represent the in-and-out design of RC3, the thirdphase of Urban Capital’s River City development, than a scale modelmade out of Lego. The brainchild of Faulhaber Communications,Urban Capital’s go-to PR agency, RC3 in Lego was a smash loot-baghit at the development’s launch party on May 29, 2014.

Each Lego package came with a custom-designed assembly manualand 334 individual Lego pieces, sorted and packaged by hand in UC’sboardroom/assembly line by compelled staff and David Wex’s 6 yearold daughter.

For the kid in all of us.

WEARABLE ART

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Urban Capital’s archives

Small and relatively easy to produce, buttons are typically one ofthe last items you think about when preparing for a project launchor other event. But since the launch of our Mondrian developmentin Ottawa in 2006, we’ve been managing to get them done, andthey are often quite nice little accessories to wear on the day orevening of.

But then they get thrown away, or left in jars, or on bedside tablesor at the bottom of desk drawers. Never really to be seen (andcertainly not worn) again.

So for the 2014 edition of Urban Capital Magazine we went on atreasure hunt to find the ones that we could, and this is what wecame up with.

A little visual trip down memory lane.

REAR VIEW

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THE BEST AND WORST RESIDENTIAL

BUILDINGS OVER THE YEARS,

AS VOTED BY THE PUBLIC

THE BEST

2014 River City

2013 500 Wellington West

2012 83 Redpath

2011 Seventy5 Portland

2010 60 Richmond East Housing

Co-Operative

2009 One St. Thomas Residence

2008 Argyle Authentic Lofts

2007 One King West

2006 18 Yorkville

2005 Waterclub I

THE WORST

2014 The Avanti

2013 Palais at Port Royal

2012 Pearl Condominium

2011 Eleven Christie

2010 Grande Triomphe Phase II

2009 Hampton Plaza

2008 76 Shuter

2007 BE Bloor

2006 Glen Lake

2005 Wellington Square

The Pug Awards’ 10 year adventure

For the last ten years, the Pug Awards have celebrated the best in Torontoarchitecture and openly chastised the worst. It has been a forum for citizens tohold developers and designers accountable for their work and to boisterouslyridicule those not up to snuff. 2014 was the final year of the Pug Awards,sadly, but fittingly for Urban Capital, River City was presented with the People'sChoice Award for Best Residential Building. A night-topping accolade thatmade us realize just how much we’re going to miss our little friend.

...now with over 10,000likes and counting

we also have over 8,000twitter followers...

like us on

facebook.com/UrbanCapital

twitter.com/UrbanCapital

Urban Capital pioneers residential developments in untapped urban locations, often creating flourishing new neighbourhoods. Forward-thinking in terms of architecture and interior design, it has also led the trend towards modern, clean-looking buildings that complement theirurban surroundings. From its first unit in 1996 to the over 4,000 it has since delivered or now has under development, Urban Capital hasalways pushed the envelope in terms of urban location, high-end yet functional design and green living. Today Urban Capital is continuing tobuild on that corporate DNA while exploring new markets that extend from Toronto west to Winnipeg and east to Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

FORWARD THINKING DEVELOPMENTTORONTO // OTTAWA // MONTREAL // WINNIPEG // HALIFAX

urbancapital.ca

CAMDEN LOFTSToronto

SMART HOUSEOttawa

EAST MARKETOttawa

CHARLOTTE LOFTSToronto

GLASSHOUSEWinnipeg

SOUTHPORTHalifax

RC3Toronto

RIVER CITY PHASE ONEToronto

CENTRALOttawa

TABLEAUToronto

McGILL OUESTMontreal

SMART HOUSEToronto

MONDRIANOttawa

RIVER CITY PHASE TWOToronto

NICHOLASToronto

design for the people - urban capitalmedia.urbancapital.ca/pdf/urbancapitalmagazine2014web.pdf ·...

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