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DECEMBER 2017 | 51 The Guild Inn Estate PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY QUEEN'S QUAY ARCHITECTS INTERNATIONAL INC. (Q2) The Guild Inn Estate by ANGELA ALTASS A historical landmark has a new lease on life at 201 Guildwood Parkway in Toronto, Ontario. The Guild Inn Estate, located on the Scarborough Bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario, today serves as a restaurant and banquet hall. The restaurant is aptly named Bickford Bistro as the building, often referred to as Bickford House, was originally built by General Harold Bickford in 1914. "On several occasions in past years, the City of Toronto has solicited proposals for a commercially viable renovation and development of the deteriorating heritage buildings at the Guild Inn," says Peter Pascaris, principal, Queen's Quay Architects International Inc. (Q2). "Approval with the various authorities along with numerous other interested parties was particularly complex. Environmental assessments were completed in response to existing and proposed vegetation, drainage, impact on native species, wetlands retention, green roof development, and the impact on the ravine and lake edge. Engineering analysis of existing and proposed services for the aging site were onerous, including elaborate stormwater retention and drainage systems. The impact of the development on the immediate neighbourhood involved complex interactive discussions." Throughout the project, the team had to be sensitive to the city's long-term vision for the site as an historically important cultural art centre, says Pascaris. "The new buildings had to be sited in a manner that would not detract from Bickford House," notes Pascaris. "It was decided that the new buildings would be modern, and would borrow materials and colours and be reflective of the height and site lines from Bickford House. The new buildings would have a natural feel with wood and stone exteriors as befitting structures in a parkland setting. Transparent glass connections were designed to unite the old and new. Stucco planes, as in the original house, were introduced to the new additions to create a common language." The project is over 40,000 square feet of which about 33,000 square feet is the new banquet facility. Wings to the original building that were added in the 1940s and 50s were removed during the project. "This is an important cultural site in the city of Toronto," says architect and heritage consultant Philip Goldsmith. "There was a lot of work that had to be done to determine what could be saved and how the new addition would fit on the site." One of the biggest challenges was the condition of the historic building at the start of the project, mentions Goldsmith. "The building was in terrible shape," says Goldsmith. "The roof had leaked, the rear areas had collapsed and there was a lot of internal damage. The plan involved restoring what was missing, such as the front porch, returning the windows to their proper look, rebuilding the chimney and redoing the roof. Despite alterations over the years and the calamitous nature of the building when we started, there was interior work that could be salvaged so work extended into the interior lobby, main staircase and dining room out to the rear where terraces were restored." Associate design consultant Giancarlo Garofalo notes that it is good to see the building come to life again. "It was so derelict when we got there that we had to wear masks to go inside the building," says Garofalo. "It's a unique site and an inviting type of facility that looks out onto beautifully landscaped areas complemented with historical artifacts that have been saved from Toronto buildings that were being demolished over the years. The project was a lengthy process, but in the end, I think everyone involved can give themselves a pat on the back." The restoration of The Guild Inn was very difficult and challenging because of the dilapidated state it was in, states David Moore, VP, Dynamic Hospitality & Entertainment Group. "There were many challenges and different government LOCATION 201 Guildwood Parkway, Toronto, Ontario DEVELOPER Dynamic Hospitality & Entertainment Group ARCHITECT Queen's Quay Architects International Inc. (Q2) ASSOCIATE DESIGN CONSULTANT Giancarlo Garofalo Architect Inc. HERITAGE CONSULTANT Philip Goldsmith Architect (GBCA) CONSTRUCTION MANAGER TriAxis Construction Limited STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Exsen Engineering Ltd. MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Fu Associates Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT The MBTW Group TOTAL SIZE 40,000 square feet TOTAL COST $20 million organizations to deal with, some with competing concepts," remarks Moore. "The final product has far exceeded our expectations. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive." The design for the restoration of the original building proved to be challenging due to unforeseen prior renovation work and underpinning of the existing wall footings, which affected the design of the connecting structures between new and existing construction, says John Crimi, president, Exsen Engineering Ltd. "The exterior and interior load bearing walls had to be assessed under present seismic requirements of the Ontario Building Code," notes Crimi. "Another challenging aspect of the design was the requirement for a 3D modelling analysis of the banquet hall structure to obtain relative lateral displacements of structural vertical elements." The most challenging part of the $20-million project was restoring a historic mansion and integrating it with the new hospitality venue, says Alessandro Palazzo, VP, TriAxis Construction Limited. "We had to bring the building up to today's building code and safety requirements," says Palazzo. "With this project, we were brought in well after the design was complete and the owners found themselves over budget. Given that the first function was already booked for April 2017, we had very little time and options available." To make the budget work and meet heritage standards, a combination of original materials in conjunction with modern synthetic reproductions was used in a way that complemented each other, says Palazzo. "Original limestone was used on the Bickford House, while synthetic stone was used on the banquet hall and gazebo," says Palazzo. "The old- world application of hurled plaster/ stucco was applied to Bickford House while modern day EIFS was used in selective locations on the banquet hall and gazebo. The use of cedar and Thermory ash ties the new structures to the surrounding park setting. The large glass curtain wall sections along the terrace bring the feeling of the large trees right into the banquet rooms." The vision for the landscaping work on the project was to create a design that was respectful of the cultural and historic attributes of the site, while using a palette of native plant species and environmentally sustainable materials, says Stanley Luk, senior project manager, The MBTW Group. "We used plant species that were native to the Lake Ontario shoreline region with an emphasis on pollinator friendly plant species," says Luk. "In terms of hard landscape materials, we used permeable paving with natural stone to co-ordinate with existing historical features found on the property, while respecting the natural hydrological patterns of the site." Lighting was key to highlighting the beauty of the new banquet hall, says electrical consultant Khanh Phan of Fu Associates Ltd. "As with many projects, lighting was one of the final milestones to be implemented," says Phan. "Because the approval of fixtures was delayed, extra work to ensure the electrical requirements would be provisioned was needed. A great deal of co-ordination and problem solving was required to implement our design functionality while meeting the constraints set out by the heritage elements." The Guild Inn Estate had many historically important heritage components to be maintained, which is one of the reasons why such a large and talented team of architects, engineers and various stakeholders were involved in the project, says Phan. A 8:07 AM

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