It’s an exciting time of year in the Greater Toronto Area for the development industry as the community prepares for the annual awards season when we take a moment to celebrate projects that have managed to stand out from the vast crowd of buildings stand out that spring up in our city every year. One of the leading voices in the GTA sponsorship award scene is the Construction Industry and State Development Association (BILD), which covers a wide range of urban development services from design to marketing.
While the majority of BILD award winners are selected by a panel of experts, one of the Association’s more exciting annual awards is the People’s Choice Award, which invites the public to vote on GTA’s best new community project of the year. This year’s race ended with a shortlist of 10 projects planned or under construction and voting is open until May 11th and the choice is yours. Check out our summary of all 10 nominated projects below and cast your vote for the Audience Award 2023 on the BILD website linked here.
Click on any of the project names to learn more about it!
Cielo Condos | collection dev
The 29-story mixed-use development, currently under construction at the heart of the annex, has received a number of awards for its design and integration with the existing Bloor United Church, a historic building over a century old.
Cielo Condos, 29-story mixed-use condominium in Toronto, image courtesy of Collecdev
Form | Great Gulf, Dream Unlimited, Westdale Real Estate
Frank Gehry’s much-anticipated return to Toronto will also represent the tallest residential project in the architect’s long career, delivering a groundbreaking two-tower design with a soaring 84-story presence that is sure to be felt across the city. Work on the first tower has begun.
Looking south at the design of Frank Gehry’s Forma, image from submission to the City of Toronto
Gallery on the Park | Almadev
The multi-phase master plan project, which will transform the Galleria Mall site at the corner of Dufferin Street and Dupont Street, will bring nearly 3,000 new units to the area while creating new community amenities such as a recreation center, public park and new retail areas. Work is currently underway on the first three buildings.
Looking southwest of Galleria III at Galleria On The Park, image from filing with the City of Toronto
Daniels on Parliament | The Daniels Corporation
After nearly two decades of work on the transformative Regent Park revitalization project, Daniels Corporation is in the early process of constructing its final building for the community, marking the completion of Phase 3 with a 25-story tower offering 628 units.
Daniels on Parliament marks the end of Daniels Regent Park development efforts, image from filing with the City of Toronto
Harbor Walk at Lakeview Village | triple
Arguably one of the most visually striking built components of Mississauga’s Lakeview Village master plan, Harbourwalk considers providing residential density while limiting building height and utilizing a unique diamond-shaped floor plan with a central courtyard.
Harbourwalk offers density within a pedestrian-friendly 19-story cluster, image from filing with City of Mississauga
The Heights of Harmony | Minto Communities GTA
Designed for family living, the low-rise Oshawa community offers a wide selection of townhomes and single-family homes, while residents are conveniently close to schools, green spaces and local businesses.
The Heights of Harmony townhouse community in Oshawa, image courtesy of Minto Communities GTA
The Towns in Deer Springs (Stage 1) | Honeyfield Communities
Located in Tottenham, a community north west of the GTA, the Deer Springs development offers a range of luxury townhouses, all set around a central park and playground and designed to encourage a community atmosphere.
Deer Springs Community brings new townhouses to Tottenham in Northern GTA, image by bildawards.com
TerraBarrie | Great Gulf
With the Barrie South GO station within walking distance, this community enjoys urban connectivity and offers residents a choice of townhomes, semi-detached and single family homes within a masterfully planned community layout.
Terra Barrie offers large townhouses in close proximity to GO Transit, image by bildawards.com
GO cities | Opus houses, deco houses
GO Towns is also adjacent to GO Transit’s Barrie South Station, offering residents convenient transit access to the surrounding region while offering townhouse designs that lean more towards the contemporary style.
GO Towns enjoys easy access to Barrie South GO Station while offering modern townhouses, image by bildawards.com
Aurora Trails | Paradise Developments, Fieldgate Homes, TACC Developments
Aurora’s nature-focused community offers a variety of townhouses of various sizes as well as fully detached homes, while proximity to Highway 404 provides easy connections to Toronto and the surrounding communities.
Aurora Trails offers townhouse living in a natural setting, image by bildawards.com
These are the 10 options for the BILD Audience Award 2023. Online voting on the BILD website will remain open until May 11, don’t miss your chance to enter!
In addition to the BILD Awards, the City of Toronto’s Urban Design Awards 2023 are also preparing and are now accepting submissions until the end of the month. Toronto’s Urban Design Awards, held every two years, recognize achievements in categories such as private/public buildings in context, small open spaces, neighborhood designs and master plans, and even student project submissions. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts and announced at a ceremony scheduled for September. To learn more about how to submit an entry and about the jury, visit www.toronto.ca/tuda.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on metro Toronto development projects from concept to completion. We also offer instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that follows projects from the first application.
| Affiliates: |
Adamson Associates Architects, Almadev, Architects—Alliance, Bousfields, Clark Construction Management Inc, Collecdev, Core Architects, Counterpoint Engineering, Dream Unlimited, Great Gulf, Hariri Pontarini Architects, HGC Engineering Inc, II BY IV DESIGN, Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, Janet Rosenberg & Studio, Kramer Design Associates Limited, Live Patrol Inc., Minto Communities GTA, NAK Design Strategies, Orin Demolition, a division of Orin Enterprises Inc., Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc., RJC Engineers, Stantec, Tridel, U31, Urban Strategies Inc. |