Not every building is a monument, nor should it be. In the expectation of architecture, the culture from which it springs is sometimes forgotten in the evaluation of the design. The byproduct of a founding fragment, there is a profound imprint left on any community by the identity of its founders. Hardened and remarkably reselient, this cultural fragment continues to inform the growth and evolution of the community even if it is obscured beneath decades of change. In Toronto, the restrained and conservative nature of our British heritage has meant that our architecture has been bound by these traits. As a result, our cautious approach to modernism and its contemporary variant has produced a series of projects that are sharp, smart and succinct but also understated. One of the best examples is Great Gulf Homes' Charlie Condos. Designed by local architectural firm Diamond Schmitt, the building is an honest and clear expression of our civic identity. Does this not qualify it as a success?

Charlie Condos as viewed from the south, image by Forum member urbandreamer.

To learn more about the project, a link to our dataBase page as well as associated Forum thread can be found below.