The area along Richmond Street at Duncan Street in Toronto is in for a shot of innovation, now that Aspen Ridge Homes has unveiled the plans for STUDIO ON RICHMOND. In an unprecedented melding of art and architecture, this new condominium will feature an 8,000 sq. ft. space that the Ontario College of Art and Design can use as a public art gallery and eatery. This meeting of the minds makes artistic, geographical and residential sense. With the need to expand, OCAD (which has been granted university status and is now OCADU) purchased three properties along Richmond. One of them will be bordered by STUDIO ON RICHMOND, so an intimate relationship is a natural.

Aspen Ridge’s condominium will consist of two towers (31 and 41 storeys) designed by Quadrangle Architects to include a nine-storey podium that will house the gallery space. Now is the perfect time to consider a condo in this emerging area, which is being revitalized by the City of Toronto. Plans are in the works to plant trees, improve lighting, widen sidewalks and enhance existing park spaces on John Street and along Dundas Street West between Bathurst and University – offering an invigorating urban walking experience.

STUDIO ON RICHMOND is located in the midst of restaurants, lounges, shopping, subway stations and cultural venues in this area, at the crossroads of Toronto’s Financial and Cultural Districts – only a few kilometers from the Gardiner Expressway. Residents will revel in this neighbourhood, which is an interesting mélange of Queen West and King West, a meeting of right brain and left, and all close to the subway and amenities that keep Toronto pulsing with excitement.

The building’s head-turning modern architecture features a series of stacked cubes punctuated by terraces on some of the floors, as well as a green roof. Appointed by Mike Niven Interior Design Inc., extensive amenities encompass the entire 9th floor. “MeZone” is an outdoor Zen-like area with therapeutic hot tubs, a winter lounge with heated floors, indoor and outdoor yoga spots, steam rooms and tranquil spaces for reflection. “WeZone” is a distinct area with a communal outdoor barbecue space and individual barbecue spots for parties from four to 10. For indoor gatherings, WeZone features billiards, a bar and media lounge, plus a party area that can be sectioned off into smaller rooms to accommodate simultaneous events, as can the OCAD gallery. The condominium’s first floor is home to STUDIO FITNESS, and the second floor has an outdoor terrace with seating areas. STUDIO ON RICHMOND’s tower suites will have floor-to-ceiling windows, open-concept layouts and gourmet kitchens with spectacular Miele appliances.

STUDIO 2:

About the Interior Design

Studio Condominiums in general was always about art meets life, and with Studio 2, the story continues.  Studio 2 is the proverbial older sister to Studio, a little darker, a bit hotter, and a bit more subtle, but as sophisticated as Studio, perhaps a tad more.

Again we look towards urban life that encompasses the buildings location.  Various artistic installations are the continuous focal points throughout the interiors, creating the high contrast against the muted, more heavily textured backdrops of the spaces.  Rough and polished materials co exist hand in hand, creating subtle surprises in their contrast.  Furnishing selected from classic mid century designs provide a more eclectic yet cohesive finishing touch.

The lobby is a grand space with high ceilings, rich and dramatic colour selections, dynamic lighting selections and a sampling of modern furniture classics.  Rough timber intermix with matte glazing, polished stones and mirror to reflect the street life within the space.  Art is key and makes up the dramatic focal points at either end of the room.

The tone continues throughout the amenities levels.  The winter lounge is a visually calm space.  Textures and materials are tactile and complex in colour, easy on the eye and the perfect intermission from outdoor frolic.  The media room ramps up with a bit more excitement, artisan elements, dramatic materials and tones are complimented by luxurious seating, the perfect space for movie nights with friends.  Celebrations explode in the social areas, mixing, dining, billiards add to any exhilarating evening.  These slick spaces add the cool to any great event.  Art again is at the forefront, enhanced by warm and dramatic materials and lighting, setting the perfect mood for any gathering.  To balance out the social areas, the kick ass gym facility includes weights, cardio and yoga areas, along with spa like change rooms to reward yourself after a good workout.

About the Architecture

“Studio on Richmond is the quintessential urban condominium development, anchored firmly within its context at ground level, and soaring to the skies in its two towers.  The lower floors engage and add to the vibrancy of city life, and architecturally help to “heal the streetscape,” as vacant parking lots are transformed into vibrant streets.  The robust bulk of the building façade on Duncan Street harkens back to an industrial aesthetic but with a contemporary vocabulary, helping to frame the OCAD building occupying the corner of Duncan and Richmond. Studio 2 features dynamic retail spaces at the corner of Duncan Street and the soon-to-be revitalized Nelson Street – imagine a restaurant, café or high-end furniture showroom.  Along Nelson Street is a row of stunning contemporary and very flexible townhomes, urbane in style and able to dress as city residences or funky work spaces. 

“Above the podium, however, a remarkable metamorphosis occurs – the building peels off its muscular solidity, revealing first a generous glazed amenity space opening to the huge sixth floor roof terrace, and then the glazed tower, expressed as a series of four boxes stacked delicately one on top of the next, floating on two storeys of transition floors.  And even as the boxes stack higher and higher, the angled mullions at the corners suggest subtle movements sideways in all directions, and the balconies undulate in and out on all faces of the boxes.  Studio 2 reaches a full ten storeys higher than Phase I, adding to the creative tension between the two soaring structures, and suggesting both stability and movement.  Add to that the bold slashes of colour at the top and bottom of the buildings, and the composition reads like a well-crafted story, full of plot, character and emotion.  This is not a one-liner that can be read at a glance, but a design that yields new delights with each viewing.  It is city living at its most current – looking back to the past and aspiring to the future.”

DESIGN ELEVATED TO AN ART FORM AT STUDIO2’S WARHOL COLLECTION

The darling of bohemians during the pop art era, Andy Warhol redefined avant-garde with a fresh take on the art of living. How appropriate that Aspen Ridge has named its collection of street-oriented loft-like homes at the upcoming Studio2 “The Warhol Collection.” Capturing the character of trendy vintage neighbourhoods to mirror the surrounding heritage landmarks in Toronto’s Entertainment District, the designs are spacious, bold and refreshingly unexpected. Open-concept interiors are infused with glorious amounts of natural light from uninterrupted windows. To maximize the open, airy feeling, sliding glass panels take the place of walls, offering privacy and the visual expansion of these already generous living areas. Urban sophisticates will appreciate the upgraded kitchen specs and ensuite baths that take on epic proportions in these one-of-a-kind homes.