Award

10 | OCTOBER 2015 UNION31 Inc. However in order to remain hands-on and keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive, the team took a slightly different approach to the future growth of the company. "The success of a business is very much about the team you have behind you and we've been good at selecting the right people," says Cray. "Therefore we made the conscious decision to keep the company at the size it is because we enjoy being a part of each and every project. I think if it gets too much bigger you really need to step back, and while we are not doing as much design as we used to, we are still involved in each project." And so, in a heritage building in downtown Toronto you will find 21 staff mem- bers, throwing ideas around, sharing visions and working collaboratively on a range of projects that extend from coast to coast. One of the recent stand-out projects for Cray is the 49-storey, 300 Front Street in Toronto. "The understanding and relationship we built with the developer Tridel stands out for me on that project," says Cray. "It's great when developers share the same vision and in this case we worked really well together. You could say we worked on ways to skin the cat to achieve certain details with tight budgetary con- straints," laughs Cray. Having to blend the structural columns that supported the building's two-storey lobby created quite a challenge for the team, however by using a backlit onyx stone and wrapped walnut wood, the team was able to create a New York-style luxury hotel living experience which is very much on-trend; a statement piece of the lobby. "We suspended a mobile made of walnut wood to add interest and combined that with the waterfall-style chandeliers created by glass balls. This project was very special," says Cray. Another notable UNION31 project is The Roy – a 22-storey condominium located in Halifax's historical warehouse district. "That one was interesting to me as I had never been to Halifax before, so it was a chance to learn about the history of the area. The project is pretty dynamic, yet brings a heritage component to it. The city is changing quite a bit; it is refined and rustic and because it is located by a harbour it was essential to integrate this into a higher end look. We used some interesting detail to achieve this," adds Cray. For the team, The Roy was an exercise in contrasts: old versus new, light versus dark and smooth versus textural. The lobby and amenity spaces have a gallery feel with sculptural forms and polished, urban finishes that are juxtaposed against raw, textural backgrounds; reclaimed elements are incorporated throughout and archi- tectural features exposed to recall the structure's original purpose. In addition, UNION31 helped to create a dramatic boutique-style entrance with indirect lighting and hints of a Scandinavian influence. Then there's the Sky City project in Winnipeg. A 45-storey, mixed-use building that is being touted as a vertical village. "This is very much the direction we are currently seeing with condos, so the key is to be able to integrate a design that is homely, but one that has the luxury hotel feel so that you never actually feel the need to leave your building. Sky City has shopping and services on the lower levels, condo suites above and a party room on the 43rd level that overlooks all of Winnipeg. Having to transition between the different areas in a way that not only complemented one another, but gave a distinct feel to each area was an interesting challenge," says Jonsohn. UNION31 understands that flexibility is key, especially when working on mul- tiple projects across the country where design influences differ. "The further West you go the more contemporary the esthetic tends to be," says Jonsohn. "It's that whole casual, modern, California esthetic. Then you go to Montreal where you have the French influence and there's more colour; it's a lot more playful. And then there is the Toronto market. I think a lot of other cities look to us to bring some of that esthetic to them." The work of UNION31 however is not just recognized here in Canada. In 2013 the company received the International Council of Interior Architects and Designers RING award, which encourages and promotes professional standards and ethics among interior design practices. The award was presented in recognition of 88 Scott – a mixed-use condo in Toronto. "Travelling to China and being recognized on a global level was really quite humbling," says Cray. However, this is just one of 24 awards that the company has received over the past five years alone. So, having come this far, what does the future hold for UNION31? "We'd like to do more hospitality projects and to move back into international projects, but for us it is important to remain a bespoke design firm; to offer our clients that experi- ence. Both Cray and I still oversee all the projects and we are lucky to have a team that shares our vision. There is nothing more rewarding than having one of our designers go off and create something that you think, 'that's exactly what I would have done.' At the end of the day design is about collaborating, about creating great work and working on relationships," says Jonsohn. A PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAC JACOBSON + BRANDON BARRÉ/COURTESY UNION31 101 Erkskine – Midtown Toronto; 300 Front Street West– Toronto.

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