The City of York abutting Toronto on the west was for many years forgotten as a place to go and live. During the 70s and 80s, through theefforts of one of its mayors, Gayle Christie, and the elected councillors, both public and private undertakings began to germinate in its semi-urban fabric. I was approached in 1988, by a developer to evaluate the feasibility of a residential project on the edge of the Humber River.
The City of York’s official plan indicated a vehicular road between the subject site and the bank of the river. This proposed road was to function as a bypass for vehicular traffic using Weston Road. My urban sensitivity argued against this. The area known as Metropolitan Toronto, of which the City of York was one of six districts, had over time turned its back on natural courses. I had buried creeks, filled ravines with garbage and polluted open waterways. Eliminating the proposed road was paramount to creating a direct connection with the Humber River.
Without dwelling on the battle that ensued, suffices to say that the proposed road was eliminated in the official plan the subject site abuttedon the flood plain adjacent to the river, and the vehicular traffic was reduced strictly to those that would serve the proposed residential development.
By now the client was satisfied with the opportunity and asked me to stay on and design the residential condominiums. The connection to the riverbecame a key element of the design. The number of units possible was approximately 400. This could have been achieved in one 40-story tower. However, the ‘proximity of the upper floors to the valley would have been too distant. Upon consideration of the reality of the marketplace, the possibility of phasing, and as minor impact on the neighbourhood as possible, a two-tower solution sitting on a podium containing common amenities was adopted.
The entrance, on the east side, cascaded towards the west and the river. The towers splayed apart like two fingers, creating an obtuse angle betweenthem, giving nine units per floor a visual connection to the valley.
Each unit incorporated an enclosed ‘greenhouse’ to mitigate the long winters. Whereas the floors of the common amenities were finished with Mediterranean stone with gently undulating blue lines. Water became a key element of the landscaping. It flowed from the exterior of the entrance to the cascading interior stairs, onto the flood plain becoming a stream joining the Humber River.
