Sunday, May 9, 2010

The RAW Party: Toronto's Best Emerging Architects

Before heading off to the Ontario Association of Architects' Annual Conference in Windsor, my friend Mark Guslits took me to the annual party of RAW, one of Toronto's new young architectectural practices. In fact, they were voted the OAA Best Emerging Practice in 2009. (The AIBC should consider this type of award...)The party was held at one of their latest projects, a Mini dealership, and I couldn't help but think what a creative idea it was....a joint venture between a firm of architects and a client...with drinks sponsored by emerging products....Beefeater Gin's newest product '24' and new wines and beers.In addition to many Toronto architects and developers, and Mini purchasers, Austin Powers was there...he is after all a Torontonian...

While Mark played with the cars...boys will be boys...I got to meet some of the developers who are changing the city's skyline...while they are not yet achieving the prices we are achieving in Vancouver, there is a lot more activitiy in Toronto, with Jon Wener's 75 storey AURA now underway at College and Yonge, and One Bloor Street about to be resurrected.Travelling around downtown Toronto I sometimes felt like a little boy who had just come in from the farm. But then I'm told Torontonians feel somewhat disoriented when they come to Vancouver. Our city is so much more beautiful!

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