Riley Snelling

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Toronto Architecture City Guide: 30 Modern and Contemporary Landmarks in Canada's Largest City

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As one of the host cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Toronto is preparing to welcome fans from across the globe. The Canadian city, the fourth largest in North America, has become a cosmopolitan center with its renowned business district and cultural venues that come alive during the summer and early fall nights. Toronto offers a beautifully diverse urban setting, with shimmering high-rises and smaller brick houses, intertwining residential and vibrant commercial areas, public parks, and even beaches. All become part of the city's striking skyline, crowned by the iconic CN Tower.

Toronto's ongoing sprawl and constant urban development are evident as new projects spread through the city, weaving themselves into existing buildings, from 19th-century landmarks such as the Gooderham Building to major contemporary works like the Aga Khan Museum. These new constructions include increasing adaptive reuse and retrofitted projects throughout the city as more efforts and incentives are provided to reduce carbon emissions.

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Cardwell Clubhouse / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design

Cardwell Clubhouse / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - More Images+ 11

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  151
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Lutron, Agway Metals, Bauhaus Doors, Bauwerk Parkett, Blanco, +12

Georgian Bay Beach House / &Pierre

Georgian Bay Beach House / &Pierre - More Images+ 21

Georgian Bay, Canada

Deep Tones and Natural Roots: 22 Shou Sugi Ban Homes Across the US and Canada

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Shou Sugi Ban is a traditional Japanese technique for wood preservation that involves charring the surface of timber to create a protective layer. While its origins are rooted in practical durability, the method has been widely adapted into the modern built environment and shapes a unique and distinctive aesthetic. It is a material of contradiction: it remains bold in its visual language due to its dark tones, yet it simultaneously borrows from and complements its natural surroundings, allowing houses to settle quietly into their sites.

The charred finish among the 22 residences featured here across Canada and the United States serves as a common thread for navigating extreme climates. From humid lakefronts to dense forests, the carbonized skin acts as a resilient shield against diverse conditions. Beyond mere protection, these houses demonstrate how the material's texture changes with exposure to light, transforming from a flat matte in the shade to a silver-flecked, shimmering surface in direct sun. These projects also showcase the technique's ability to define architectural volumes, using the dark cladding to create sharp, monolithic silhouettes or to highlight the voids in a building's mass, such as recessed entryways and sheltered terraces.

Deep Tones and Natural Roots: 22 Shou Sugi Ban Homes Across the US and Canada - More Images+ 20

Indigenous Hub / BDP Quadrangle + Two Row Architect + Stantec Architecture + ERA Architects

Indigenous Hub  / BDP Quadrangle + Two Row Architect + Stantec Architecture  + ERA Architects - More Images+ 19

Long Lake Cottage / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design

Long Lake Cottage / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - More Images+ 22

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  333
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Fisher & Paykel, Inline Fiberglass, Inline Fiberglass, 6” wide knotty cedar boards, 6” wide knotty cedar boards, +33

STOCK T.C Culinary Emporium / Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects

STOCK T.C Culinary Emporium / Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects - More Images+ 19

Periscope House / Atelier RZLBD

Periscope House / Atelier RZLBD - More Images+ 13

Toronto, Canada

10° of Seperation House / Atelier RZLBD

10° of Seperation House / Atelier RZLBD - More Images+ 20

Toronto, Canada

Milky’s Fold Coffee Shop / Simone Ferkul Projects

Milky’s Fold Coffee Shop / Simone Ferkul Projects - More Images+ 12

Flow House / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design

Flow House / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - More Images+ 15

Bunkie on the Hill Residence / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design

Bunkie on the Hill Residence / Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - More Images+ 22

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  93
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2023
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Fisher & Paykel, Blanco, Caesarstone, Crate & Barrel, DWR, +18

House Caroline / Reign Architects

House Caroline / Reign Architects - More Images+ 20

Toronto, Canada

Feline Ski Chalet / Atelier RZLBD

Feline Ski Chalet  / Atelier RZLBD - More Images+ 23

Collingwood, Canada

Manulife Head Office Exterior Renovations / Martin Simmons Sweers Architects

Manulife Head Office Exterior Renovations / Martin Simmons Sweers Architects - More Images+ 15

Bennington Farmhouse / POST Architecture

Bennington Farmhouse / POST Architecture - More Images+ 30

Toronto, Canada