East United Condos - Check out this Bold Condo Design!
By Lucas on Apr 22, 2015
It goes without saying that Toronto’s east end is undergoing a massive transformation. From the waterfront all the way up to Dundas, new communities of condos, retail, and arts and cultural spaces are popping up in a cohesive manner. Even with all these new developments going up, the east end hasn’t lost its old-world charm, and it’s exactly this “aversion to conformity” that has attracted SigNature Communities, Berkshire Axis Development, and Andiel Homes to the neighbourhood.
The developers’ new condo development is called East United and is planned for 93 Berkeley at King and Berkeley. The interesting thing about the site is that it allows for the building to stretch all the way to Parliament, which is a rare case, according to Ralph Giannone, principal of Giannone Petricone Associates, the architectural firm behind East United’s unique design.
The five-storey podium will rise on Parliament, complementing the industrial buildings to the south. “Mirroring the heritage of the area, the podium works hard to fit into a neighbourhood that has a lot of history, lots of rich context, but definitely offers something new,” explains Giannone.
There will be a pedestrian mews running along the site connecting Parliament and Berkeley. This mews creates space for six two-storey townhomes at the base of the 21-storey condo. From top to bottom, East United is a refreshing take on condo design. The irregular shape will do wonders for Toronto’s skyline and it looks like many different materials and textures will be used to reflect the diverse neighbourhoods in the east end.
“We don’t do typical. It’s not in our DNA,” says Sebastian Mizzi, Vice President of SigNature Communities. “We know the east side has a lot to offer and it’s our job as a group to cultivate a destination that delivers on the promise of these great neighbourhoods.”
With so much attention on the west end in recent years, people often forget that parts of the east end are amongst the oldest neighbourhoods in the entire GTA. The Distillery District was formerly the Gooderham & Worts distillery, and is now a major tourist destination full of independent shops, restaurants, and art galleries. And the St. Lawrence area was once home to the city’s first civic centre and is now ranked as the world’s best farmer’s market by National Geographic.
“Think of what King and Spadina looked like ten years ago and that’s what King and Parliament looks like today,” says Leslie Marlowe, principal at Berkshire Axis. “People have a misperception of the east end as being way out there. The distance from King and Spadina to the University subway line is almost the exact same as the distance from Berkeley and King to the Yonge line.” With the amount of development and great street character in the east end, it is very odd that there are people in Toronto and the GTA that still turn a blind eye to the east end. Hopefully East United’s head turning design helps change that.
The units at East United
There will be a total of 279 units at East United, ranging from 350 to 1,400 square feet, with prices starting at $199,900. According to a recent release, the average price per square foot is in the mid-$500s. There will be a wide selection of floor plans ranging all the way up to four bedrooms. We have to say, we’re getting excited about the amount of developers starting to include at least a few four-bedroom units in their new buildings. They’re starting to catch on that families want to live in condos, too, and people moving into condos want to start families one day but stay in a downtown environment.
The Design Agency is responsible for the interior designs at East United. The units will come in a variety of design packages influenced by surrounding districts. “We wanted to create a bespoke, curated experience that reflects the artisanal nature of each neighborhood,” says Matthew Davis, co-founder of The Design Agency. Different themes include rustic and earth-toned inspired by the Distillery, sleek and minimal mirrored in the King East Design District, and a playfulness evident in the St. Lawrence.
The East United sales centre is scheduled to open this spring at 95 Berkeley, so you should register today to stay updated and receive an invite to the opening.
