Best Toronto Midrise architects?

[RickyBobby]

Hi - working on a project on the side. An 50-60 unit rental apartment downtown; 5 storeys, likely. Mid-end. My mental benchmark is the Mod'n in Burlington. Maybe some towns if economics permit. This isn't quite "missing middle" but there isn't a lot of experience in this realm and my experience is high-rise commercial, and not Toronto.

Who are the best for this size in Toronto who would actually take on the work? A lot of the firms are "too busy" or have only high-rise experience. The economics of midrise, as you know, suck, so I need:

* Someone who can do quality drawings with a track record
* Someone who is innovative, but isn't going to design me out of my proforma
* Someone who is going to give me the time of day, and not their C-team

On my list are Teeple, Taylor_Smyth. Should I be looking at anyone else?

@AlexBozikovic : this type of midrise seems to be your jam - who would be on your list?

 

[RickyBobby]

@ProjectEnd @interchange42 @AlvinofDiaspar @Automation Gallery

Any thoughts?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

@ProjectEnd @interchange42 @AlvinofDiaspar @Automation Gallery

Any thoughts?

Disclaimer - I am not a practitioner so take my suggestion with grains of salt. Superkul comes to mind. aA also does some excellent mid-rise work.

I'd love to say Shim Sutcliffe but I think they are high end, very choosy, and their portfolio lean towards to low end of mid-rises.

AoD

 

[interchange42]

First to mind is that I'd look at Studio JCI, while I'd second superkül.

From the majors, Core and Quadrangle have both shown their abilities with mid-rise, Core at 500 Wellington West as one example, Quadrangle at DUKE Condos, and you cannot write-off architectsAlliance in this category either with projects like 383 Sorauren in their portfolio…

Others may pop to mind later.

All the best putting this together!

42

 

[Automation Gallery]

On my list are Teeple, Taylor_Smyth. Should I be looking at anyone else?

Yeah ic42 above has mentioned some good ones, you might also take a look @ ICON, a Toronto architecture firm with some neat small projects

Projects | Icon Architects

www.iconarchitects.ca

Good Luck SPS

 

[RickyBobby]

I saw Icon and thought they were interesting too.

As an aside, I did do a conceptual massing and the setbacks are killing my economics. I need all the density I can get to make mid-rise work, and the setbacks required by the midrise guidelines are both reducing density, and shooting my formwork costs through the roof. If the CIty wants to address the missing middle, they sure make it difficult.

 

[salsa]

I saw Icon and thought they were interesting too.

As an aside, I did do a conceptual massing and the setbacks are killing my economics. I need all the density I can get to make mid-rise work, and the setbacks required by the midrise guidelines are both reducing density, and shooting my formwork costs through the roof. If the CIty wants to address the missing middle, they sure make it difficult.

Is timber frame construction a viable option?

 

[mettle]

kmai?

 

[RickyBobby]

Is timber frame construction a viable option?

Code wise, yes. Exposed mass timber wont work cost wise.

 

[junctionist]

Teeple is great. RAW Design’s work can be on the mild side, but they have a lot of experience with midrises. They designed Abacus Lofts and the Howard Park, which manage to both stand out and fit into the local neighbourhood.