The Dundas Edward Centre sits in a highly connected part of downtown Toronto, steps from St. Patrick Station and close to major institutional, commercial, and residential uses.
Our proposal focused on improving the efficiency of the existing office building by expanding the floor plate of 180 Dundas Street West from 11,000 square feet to 19,000 square feet. This larger and more flexible floor plate would support a broader range of tenants, create more functional office layouts, and strengthen the long-term commercial value of the property.
Above this improved office base, the master plan introduced a slender mixed-use residential tower. Rather than treating residential density as a separate intervention, the proposal used the tower addition to complete the site’s evolution into a more productive mixed-use urban block.
PREPARED FOR:
TEAM:
Mark Gaglione
(Construction Sciences at Ellis Don),
Brett Llewellyn-Thomas
(Nova Ridge Development)
LOCATION:
Toronto, Ontario
AWARDS:
NAIOP Development Challenge – 3rd
Place
People’s Choice Award
The opportunity was not to start over, but to ask how the existing asset could work much harder.
The strategy combined three moves: extend the office floor, add residential density above, and improve the public-facing experience at grade. New retail uses, streetscape improvements, and a glazed publicly accessible atrium would help connect the development back to Dundas Street West and Centre Avenue, while also supporting a more active pedestrian environment.
The proposal also explored a hybrid timber-steel-concrete structure to improve construction efficiency and create a more distinctive office environment. The structural approach was not only technical; it was part of the broader design strategy to make the expanded office space feel modern, warm, and attractive to future tenants.
At a downtown site with immediate access to rapid transit, the question is not whether more density is appropriate. The question is how that density can be added in a way that improves the existing building, strengthens the public realm, and creates long-term value.
The Dundas Edward Centre Master Plan shows how underutilized commercial sites can evolve without losing their original purpose. By making the office floor plate more efficient and adding residential above, the proposal turns an existing asset into a more complete, mixed-use downtown development.