The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods Compiled By: RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD RASE K a r c h i t e c t s www.rasekarchitects.com f in 02 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD Introduction Toronto Architectural Styles The majority of styled houses in the United States and Canada are The architecture of residential houses in Toronto is mainly influenced by its history and its culture. modeled on one of four principal architectural traditions: Ancient Classical, Renaissance Classical, Medieval or Modern. The majority of Toronto's older buildings are loosely modeled on architectural traditions of the British Empire, such as Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian architecture. Toronto was traditionally a peripheral city in the The earliest, the Ancient Classical Tradition, is based upon the monuments architectural world, embracing styles and ideas developed in Europe and the United States with only limited of early Greece and Rome. local variation. A few unique styles of architecture have emerged in Toronto, such as the bay and gable style house and the Annex style house. The closely related Renaissance Classical Tradition stems from a revival of interest in classicism during the Renaissance, which began in Italy in the The late nineteenth century Torontonians embraced Victorian architecture and all of its diverse revival styles. 15th century. The two classical traditions, Ancient and Renaissance, share Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the many of the same architectural details. styles known as Victorian were used in construction. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles mixed with the introduction of Middle Eastern and Asian influences. The name The Third tradition, the Medieval, separated the Ancient Classical and the represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this Renaissance Classical in time. The Medieval tradition includes naming and classification scheme, it follows Georgian architecture and later Regency architecture, and was architecture based on the formal Gothic style used for church buildings succeeded by Edwardian architecture. during the Middle Ages, as well as that based upon the simpler domestic buildings of the same era. Most of the Medieval architecture that has Victorian-style housing dominates a number of the city's older neighbourhoods, most notably Cabbagetown, influenced the Toronto houses originated in England and France. Parkdale, Rosedale, and The Annex. These neighbourhoods hold some of the largest collections of Victorian houses in North America. During this period Toronto also developed some unique styles of housing. The bay- The fourth traditions, the Modern style, began in the late 19th century and and-gable house was a simple and cost effective design that also aped the elegance of Victorian mansions. continues to the present. It is based primarily on the lack of applied ornamentation and a resulting external simplicity or "honesty", as well as Many of the world's most prominent architects have done work in Toronto, including Toronto native Frank on spatial variations made possible by new construction techniques. Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster, Will Alsop, I. M. Pei, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 03 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD GEORGIAN The Georgian style is highly variable, but marked by symmetry and proportion based on the classical architecture of Greece and Rome, as revived in Renaissance architecture. Ornament is also normally in the classical tradition, but typically restrained, and sometimes almost completely absent on the exterior. IDENTIFYING FEATURES Georgian architecture is characterized by its proportion and balance; simple mathematical ratios were used to determine the height of a window in relation to its width or the shape of a room as a double cube. Paneled front door, usually centred and capped by an elaborate decorative crown (entablature) supported by decorative pilasters (flattened columns); usually with a row of small rectangular panes of glass beneath the crown, either within the door or in a transom just above; cornice usually emphasized by decorative moldings, most commonly by tooth like dentils; windows aligned horizontally and vertically in symmetrical rows, usually five -ranked on front facade, less commonly three- or seven-ranked. Form: Rectangular and symmetrical Storeys: 2 to 3 Façade: In bays: usually 5-bay fronts; brick, stone, clapboard Roof: Hip or end gable roof with matching chimneys Windows: Small-paned , sash usually 12-over-12 Entrance: Centred, single door, usually plain, may have shallow transom and side lights 04 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD EARLY CLASSICAL REVIVAL The Early Classical Revival style developed at the end of the 18th century and reflected a desire to take architectural inspiration directly from the ancient buildings of Rome and Greece.While earlier styles (the Georgian and Federal styles) were also inspired by these classical forms, they relied more on architectural details and did not attempt to recreate the look of those ancient buildings. The Roman Classical Revival style (sometimes called Roman Classicism) and later the Greek Revival style emulated the form of classical Roman and Greek temples. IDENTIFYING FEATURES Entry porch (portico) dominating the front facade and normally equaling it in height; porch roof usually supported by four simple columns (Roman Doric or Tuscan Types) each with a shallow square base (plinth); the columns support a prominent centred gable; a semi-circular or elliptical fanlight normally occurs above paneled front door; windows aligned horizontally and vertically in symmetrical rows, usually five-ranked on front facade, less commonly three-ranked or seven-ranked. Neoclassical Architecture is characterized by grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric forms, Greek—especially Doric or Roman detail, dramatic use of columns, and a preference for blank walls. Form: Box-like, symmetrical Storeys: 2 to 3 Façade: In bays: usually 3-bay fronts, quoins on corners Roof: Hip or end gable roof with matching chimneys Windows: Small-paned , usually 9-over-9 or 6-over-6 Entrance: Centred, decorative with pilasters and sidelights, transoms, fan lights around single door. 05 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD REGENCY Regency architecture refers to classical buildings built in Britain during the Regency era in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to earlier and later buildings following the same style.The style is strictly the late phase of Georgian architecture, and follows closely on from the Neo-classical style of the preceding years, which indeed continued to be produced throughout the period. IDENTIFYING FEATURES Regency architecture is especially distinctive in its houses, and also marked by an increase in the use of a range of eclectic "revival" styles, from Gothic through Greek to Indian, as alternatives to the main neoclassical stream. Form: Low, rectangular and symmetrical Storeys: 1 or 1-1/2, occasionally 2 Façade: In bays: 3 to 5- bay fronts Roof: Hip, may have dormer, often has iron cresting Windows: Tall, often “French”, 6-over-6 Entrance: Centred, often recessed with sidelights and transom 06 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD GREEK REVIVAL The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. American interest in the culture of ancient Greece grew from sympathy for the Greek War of Independence (1821-1830) and emerging archaeological finds showing Greece as the earliest democracy. IDENTIFYING FEATURES Greek Revival style buildings can take several forms (even appearing occasionally as townhouses with strong columned front entries), but are most easily identifiable by the presence of a columned entry, a front facing gable or pediment, pilasters at the front façade corners, or a wide cornice with small windows. Form: Rectangular, symmetrical, centre portion tall, may have single storey wings; Distinguished by columns Storeys: 2 Façade: Brick or clapboard, stucco (rare) 2 storey centre, double height columns, often with porch Roof: Front temple-pediment gable Windows: Small-paned sash , usually 9-over-9 or 6-over-6 07 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD GOTHIC REVIVAL The Gothic Revival style is part of the mid-19th century picturesque and romantic movement in architecture, reflecting the public's taste for buildings inspired by medieval design. This was a real departure from the previously popular styles that drew inspiration from the classical forms of ancient Greece and Rome. IDENTIFYING FEATURES The most commonly identifiable feature of the Gothic Revival style is the pointed arch, used for windows, doors, and decorative elements like porches, dormers, or roof gables. Other characteristic details include steeply pitched roofs and front facing gables with delicate wooden trim called vergeboards or bargeboards. This distinctive incised wooden trim is often referred to as "gingerbread" and is the feature most associated with this style. Form: Usually symmetrical , tall with peaks