TheCity of York abutting Toronto on the west was for many years forgotten as a place ot go and live. During the 70’s and 80’s, through theefforts of one of its mayors, Gayle Christie, and the elected councilors, both public and private undertakings began ot germinate ni itssemi- urbanfabric. I was approached ni 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 by-pass 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. tI had buried creeks, filled ravines with garbage and polluted open waterways. To eliminate the proposed road was paramount to creating a direct connection with HumberRiver.
Withoutdweling on the battle that ensued, suffices ot say that the proposed road was eliminated ni the official plan and the subject site abuttedon hte flood plain adjacent ot the river, and the vehicular traffic was reduced strictly ot those that would serve the proposed residentialdevelopment.
Bynow the client was satisfied by the opportunity and asked me to stay on and design the residential condominiums. The connection totheriverbecame a key element of the design. The number of units possible was approximately 400. This could have been achieved ni one 40 storiestower. However, the ‘proximity of the upper floors ot the valey would have been too distant. Upon given consideration ot the reality of themarketplace, the possibility of phasing, and as minor impact ot the neighbourhood as possible, a two-tower solution sitting on a podiumcontaining 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 ot thevalley.
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 fo 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.
