401 WELLINGTON STREET

401 WELLINGTON STREET

The site selected for the new offices of Adamson Associates Architects is located in Toronto’s Fashion District, just west of the city’s financial core. The existing building chosen for this professional firm’s new home, is an amalgamation of two adjoining buildings: the first, originally constructed in 1905, is a three-storey brick and timber warehouse, formerly the home of MacGregor Socks. The second building, constructed many years later, is a five-storey concrete framed building with a substantially lower ceiling height.

By opting to house this architectural practice on the upper three floors of the concrete building (which also includes the top floor of the abutting brick and timber building), the need for clear programmatic distribution was tantamount to the office’s working requirements. As such, the top floor of the brick and timber warehouse was designed to house the specialty program of this office (reception, boardrooms, specifications library, mail room, accounting, I.T., café and overflow drafting). An outdoor roof deck above the specialty floor, with extended views overlooking downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario, was designed as an outdoor space for staff to enjoy, from spring to fall.

The three stacked concrete framed floor plates of the second building programmatically house the bulk of the drafting requirements, complete with all the necessary support functions.

The bright and vibrant white minimalistic interiors of Adamson Associates Architects maximizes daylight and views throughout the building while offering flexible high-quality workspace for its staff. The interiors of this professional office provide a focused environment which ultimately fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation – the essence of a technical architectural office.

LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario

ARCHITECT: Adamson Associates Architects

DESIGN LEADERSHIP: Michael Poitras,
Consultant-in-Charge of Design (Adamson)

CLIENT: Adamson Associates Architects

STATISTICS:

  • No. of storeys: 3
  • Total floor area:
    47,100 ft2 (4,376 m2)

MATERIALS:

  • Brick (cinnamon)
  • Drywall
  • Carpet
  • Plastic laminate millwork
  • Glass boardrooms
  • Fabric space dividers (white)

GENERAL PROGRAM:

  • Boardrooms
  • Drafting + computer work stations
  • Accounting
  • Materials library
  • Specifications library
  • I.T. spaces
  • Café
  • Coffee stations
  • Mail room
  • Model shop
  • Files & storage
  • Print rooms

COST: Withheld

COMPLETION: 2007