If two realms of work can be said to occupy opposite sides of the spectrum, they might be the industrial factory and the A.I. company. Standout examples of both types of workplace are featured in our May/June 2024 issue. WXY’s and Body Lawson’s The Peninsula bakes the factory typology into a new affordable housing community in Hunts Point, New York, where food processing is the literal bread and butter of the local economy. While the Bronx neighbourhood has long been a significant commercial zone, over the past several decades, its residents have suffered higher-than-average rates of poverty ..read more

RADICAL REUSE When the building is a relic, a ruin, a shell of its former self, an adaptation that links past and future can be just as audacious as it is sustainable and functional. Case Study 1: Domino Sugar Refinery, New York The Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn was once the largest such operation in the world. Today, it accommodates 15 storeys of office, retail and event spaces — all inside a glass volume inserted within the original facade. This new structure culminates in a stunning barrel vault roof that recalls the American round-arch style of the building’s windows. In adapti ..read more

It wasn’t that long ago that co-working spaces were riding what seemed like a massive wave that would never break. New brands were launching every few months (East Room in Canada, Second Home in Europe and NeueHouse in the U.S. were just some of the more interesting iterations from a design perspective), while established co-working companies like WeWork were opening spaces at warp speed. Then WeWork started to teeter and eventually collapsed in the face of insurmountable debt and crippling losses, COVID-19 reared its disruptive head, and much of the planet was ordered to work from home. Sudde ..read more

Beautiful, solid, comfortable. When Simone Ferkul met ATTIC co-founders Melissa Gobeil and Susan Shaw, she asked them to choose three words that define their custom, ethically sourced gold jewellery and engagement rings. “Those are the three words they gave me, and they turned out to be very layered ideas about their brand, and who they are as makers and creators as well,” Ferkul says. These words served as the raw material — the diamond in the rough — from which Ferkul reimagined ATTIC’s multi-functional headquarters in a historic building in downtown Toronto. Equal parts office, workshop and ..read more

Called on to create a private retreat in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto interior design firm ACDO had the opportunity to subvert the conventional waterfront getaway. The client had a clear vision for his home situated on a sandy stretch of Lake Ontario — “Canadian beach house meets Asian resort,” says ACDO founding partner Abraham Chan, one that not only invoked the surrounding natural environment but also incorporated elements inspired by his global travels.  The space itself was unconventional: 929 square metres spanning the fifth and sixth floors (the penthouse units, which the client ha ..read more

In New York, converting an obsolete industrial building into a residence is nothing new. Artists began doing so at the end of the Second World War, when industry moved outside of the city and opened up more economically viable (though raw) options for living. Nearly 80 years later, the challenge remains the same: how to transform facilities designed for large-scale production and storage into far more livable homes. When tasked with the recent renovation of an especially oversized — at 10 metres wide — NoMad loft, local firm Michael K Chen Architecture (MKCA) introduced a series of deft struc ..read more

1. The Brief Memorial services are known to be places of reflection — but rarely do they inspire meditations on design. And yet a revamped funeral home in Quebec City’s quiet Beauport borough has become a testament to the comforting role that a well-crafted space can play in the mourning process. One of the oldest funeral cooperatives in Canada, La Seigneurie was based out of cramped, outdated facilities when it brought in two local firms — Ultralocal Architectes and interior design studio Perron — for a total reincarnation. “The client asked us to completely rethink the user’s feeling and exp ..read more

Across the steep, forested terroir, a narrow and winding driveway offers the only hint of a human habitat at the end of the road. Atop a rocky incline, the thicket of trees finally gives way to a clearing, revealing a striking open vista of the Gaspereau River Valley. Here, the White Rock residence quietly emerges from the earth, its weathering-steel form appearing almost weightlessly suspended above the similarly reddish soil. Designed by acclaimed Canadian architect Omar Gandhi, it sits lightly on the land. Perched on stilts, the weathered steel house sits lightly on the land. For Gandhi ..read more

Ever since the pandemic left many office buildings empty, cities have grappled with how to revitalize business districts decimated by record-high vacancy rates. Coupled with the ongoing housing crisis, the answer seemed like a no-brainer: turn the offices into housing. Of course, it wasn’t that simple. The logistical challenges, cost and complexity of these renovations have induced well-founded skepticism in commercial to residential conversions. Yet with the right building — and the right firm — it’s not only possible, but the results can be even more remarkable than a new build. Roco, a ..read more

Groupe MONTONI boasts a portfolio of over 700 completed projects. Across Quebec, the company has built wide range of industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential properties, accounting for nearly 300,000 square metres of space throughout the province, with nearly as much still in the pipeline. When it came time to design a new head office, the company sought to celebrate the process of construction (and development) itself — but within a sleek, comfortable, and coherent space. For local designers Sid Lee Architecture (SLA), it presented for a creative challenge. Situated in Laval (a ..read more