BDP Quadrangle

[1] The firm gained recognition in 1987, after transforming a heritage building at 299 Queen Street West into the headquarters of the CHUM media brand.

[20] 130 Bloor won an RAIC Innovation Award for the structural complexity required to support the additional load of nine new floors of suites on top of a 1960s office building.

[26] The studio has advocated for a shift from glass and steel towers towards more sustainable alternatives that improve energy performance by measures such as increasing the window-to-wall ratio.

[28] Through its master planning work, Quadrangle is designing large residential communities for Toronto including the Fort York Neighbourhood for Plazacorp[29] and Downtown Markham for Remington Homes.

[31] 299 Queen Street West is a neo-gothic heritage building with a terra-cotta facade that was purchased by television executive Moses Znaimer in 1985 as the headquarters of the media company CHUM.

[4] To encourage the public to interact with the architecture, the firm added garage doors that exposed the studios and live tapings to the sidewalk and passersby.

[32] Today, the building is considered a Toronto cultural landmark, having housed several local TV stations – including MuchMusic – and the Speaker's Corner video-booth.

Led by Quadrangle architect Roland Rom Colthoff (now director at RAW Design) the building introduced a new typology for automotive showrooms.

Wrapped in glass on three sides, the exterior houses BMW cars in six display windows that are visible to passing motorists on the highway.

The largely open plan interior "merges high design with casual comfort"[43] through colourful meeting rooms and cubicles, radio booths, graffiti murals spread out across boardrooms, and a spiral slide that spans three storeys.

Defined by a Corten steel and glass service core that bisects the original brick façade, the new design references the neighbourhood's industrial heritage.

[49] By excavating the site and adding an addition, Quadrangle created a new outdoor courtyard and walk-out lower level that could be leased by the developer to make the entire project economically feasible.

[57] Their intention was to create a premium office that would attract tenants seeking to associate their brand with an innovative and sustainable environment.

[58] The 90,000 square-foot structure features four-storeys of nail-laminated timber with glulam beams and columns above a one-storey concrete podium.

[59] The mass timber construction was studied by the industry professionals and students as a prototype for future buildings of this type in Ontario.

[60] Covering a total of 8.4 acres, the new Sheppard Yonge development is a mixed-use centre, which includes retail, condo, office, and rental space.

Quadrangle revitalized the outdated mall with easy street-level entrances, wide corridors, large windows, and renovated interiors that emphasize naturally-lit atriums.

299 Queen Street West, 2004
Inside the Corus Entertainment headquarters, 2010
Samsung Experience Store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, 2017
Yonge Sheppard Centre, 2019