Page 11 – Lifetime Developments

Scroll

Interview: Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting Inc.

Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting Inc. (TPIDC) is a Toronto-based interior design firm led by principals Melandro Quilatan and Tania Richardson. Lifetime took a few minutes to sit down with Melandro to get his insight into TPIDC’s work and their partnership with Lifetime Developments. He has worked with Lifetime on numerous projects, including The Yorkville, The BOND Condominiums, and Lifetime’s new head office at 49 Jackes Avenue.

LD: What inspires you professionally?

MQ: I am inspired by absolutely everything. From a traditional view, I would say historical architectural details, symmetry and balanced proportions, rich textiles, pristine craftsmanship, old world artisans, antiquities, chateaus rich in heritage and fine details. In terms of contemporary inspiration, I am drawn to asymmetrical balance; runway fashion, modern graphics, concept technology, automotive design, jewelry, unexpected textures, photography, abstract art, culinary industry, and social media.

LD: How do you keep fresh ideas and concepts coming out of your office?

MQ: At our Monday morning staff meetings we dedicate a portion of the meeting to an open forum discussion we call “Style Watch”, whereby anyone can table things of interest that pertain to inspiring ideas: travels, interior design blogs, leading edge websites, Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest finds, architecture, photography, food, movies, cars and so on. We regularly hold team building exercises such as studio charrettes, boat cruises, industry events, etc. As well, we conduct seminars to design students at the design schools we respectively graduated from (Ryerson, Sheridan, OCAD) as a way to give back to the design community.

LD: What is the most memorable milestone for you in your career and/or for your firm?

MQ: Many milestones for sure, however, one of the most memorable was resigning from my previous place of employment (of 18 years) to announce my partnership with my current business partner, Tania Richardson. We were thrilled to finally be our own bosses!

LD: How would you describe working with Lifetime Developments?

MQ: We like to partner up with like-minded operations who seek to create a stamp in our industry. We enjoy pushing the creative envelope with every new joint venture – Lifetime encourages this practice. There is so much opportunity working with Lifetime. As creators, we both feel we have a responsibility to better the city’s architecture, real estate and interior design.

LD: What makes Lifetime different from some of your other clients?

MQ: Lifetime has entrusted the Tomas Pearce team to not only collaborate on numerous prestigious condominium projects (but as a true testament to their belief in us) they’ve also engaged us to design their respective executive private homes, condos, cottage/pool landscaping and (most recently) Lifetime’s own new headquarters at 49 Jackes.

LD: What does “Creating, Defining, Inspiring” mean to you and how does it relate to Lifetime?

MQ: The team at Tomas Pearce loves these proactive power words – they are truly words to live by. Tomas Pearce is here to invent, re-define, aspire, inspire through our creative process – Lifetime embraces this vision – we like that.

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Interview: Elaine Cecconi – Founding Partner

Cecconi Simone is a Toronto-based interior design practice established in 1982 by Elaine Cecconi and Anna Simone. As a result of their talent for designing smart, small space interior environments, Lifetime Developments has partnered with Cecconi Simone on a numerous projects, including INDX, Karma and X2, to create beautiful living spaces. Lifetime had a chat with founding partner, Elaine Cecconi, on her views of working with Lifetime.

LD: What inspires you professionally?

Good design in any form, be it interiors, architecture, graphics/communications, fashion, art, public spaces, visual arts, music, cinema and cuisine. Travel inspires me; it provides exposure to different cultures, cuisine and new ideas. It changes your perspective from local to global.

LD: How do you keep fresh ideas and concepts coming out of your office?

Cecconi Simone is inherently ‘fresh’ in that we challenge ourselves to be innovative and original. Not solely for the sake of doing something ‘new’, it is important that innovation is relevant and economically viable. Our clients are banking on this. We consider complacency the death knell of any person or company.

LD: What is the most memorable milestone for you in your career and/or for your firm?

In my career, it would be the decision to practice interior design as opposed to pursuing work in the field of architecture. This was a game-changer which created the opportunity for Anna Simone and me to create Cecconi Simone.

For Cecconi Simone, we’ve had many milestones that have either taken us into a new direction or projects that were landmarks in the industry. The Merchandise Building launched our firm into multi-unit residential design, in which we paved the way with our designs for small-space, urban dwelling units, units that are highly efficient and smart in their use of cubic feet, not simply square feet. Many of the concepts we introduced at the time [1996] – in-board bedrooms, sliding walls, project-specific kitchen/bath designs – have become standard in the market in urban centres in North America and internationally.

LD: How would you describe working with Lifetime Developments?

We have the highest regard for the Lifetime group. They’re an experienced team yet every project is approached with enthusiasm and a desire to create something unique that’s specific to the site and the neighbourhood in which it is located. They have all the qualities you want in a client: integrity, professionalism, intelligence and a respect for design. And, as an added bonus, they’re fun. It’s really exciting for Cecconi Simone to be part of their team.

LD: What makes Lifetime different from some of your other clients?

It’s fascinating to watch the evolution of Lifetime, an established development company, and how it transitions into the new generation. There’s the transfer of knowledge, wisdom and experience all the while keeping the core values and vision of an organization, those upon which its reputation has been built. The new generation brings energy, new ideas and concepts. It’s the sum of the parts that make Lifetime a truly unique development company.

LD: What does “Creating, Defining, Inspiring” mean to you and how does it relate to Lifetime?

Creating, Defining, Inspiring.

There are developers who build what we consider to be commodity product: conservative, safe, predictable. Then there are developers who see their projects beyond that, the ones that are pushing architecture, urban design, landscape design and interior design. It’s not simply building condos, these are the developers who understand that they’re impacting our urban landscape and the people who choose to live in the City. They want to do things better and they want to do things right. This is an immense responsibility and every project is treated as an opportunity to create something that is defining and inspiring. Lifetime doesn’t have to work at this; it is embedded in its DNA.

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Market Looking Up

Toronto’s skyline has been changing continuously and at a rapid rate. Canada’s biggest city already tops the list for the most high-rises and skyscrapers under construction in North America. With this continued growth you would think that we are close to facing an overly saturated market with much inventory remaining right?

Showing such a surge in construction suggest it’s too early to shelve fears of overbuilding. The number of new Canadian homes on which construction began in May was much higher than projected, led mainly by all the new condo developments throughout the city of Toronto and does not indicate a rebound.

Canadian housing started to climb in early May and the number of urban starts is continually rising. Bisha Hotel & Residences is among one of the most anticipated developments in our rapidly expanding city of Toronto, and with great reason. The ultra luxurious building is currently under construction at King Street West and Blue Jays Way, which is conveniently located at the core of the city’s entertainment district.

This development between Lifetime Developments and INK Entertainment has been created with sleek elegance and style built into every aspect. Tastefully modern, unapologetically free spirited, where anything is possible, Bisha is luxury redefined for living by you own rules.

Rising to 41 storeys and designed by award-winning Wallman Architects and Munge Leung Design Associates, Bisha will be a coveted new address in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. Glamorously forward and seductive, Bisha will offer a unique medley of the best in design, art, food, music and culture. Remaining Bisha suites start at the low $300,000s and come with a long list of luxury options such as; Personal fitness & training, pet walking & feeding, cleaning & housekeeping services, dry cleaning services, room service, grocery delivery services, high-end salon services, 24-hour café and bar, business centre with meeting rooms as well as a rooftop restaurant, bar and of course an infinity pool just to name a few!

For more information call 416 546 7525 or visit www.inven toryboutique.com

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Welcome Home Residents of Liberty Market Lofts

Earlier this month, we took you on an in-depth look at the Liberty Market Lofts through our open house event showcasing some of the penthouse suites as well as the great amenities offered such as a gym, basketball court, yoga studio, dog wash and even an oversized washing machine and dryer, not to mention the spectacular and unobstructed views of the waterfront and down town core. This building definitely has it all and then some and we are proud to announce that almost everyone has fully moved in and been enjoying all of the buildings spaces and amenities.

We want to make sure that you have a chance to get to know your neighbours, check out the facilities and speak with the customer care team directly on a one on one basis while also munching on a few delicious snacks catered by The Pickle Barrel.

It is a great chance to meet others who live in the building, check out all the great amenity spaces the building has to offer (especially the beautifully designed party room) and address any questions or concerns they may have with the customer care team who were on hand for the entire event. That’s why Lifetime Developments makes sure they do something special to welcome our new purchasers, with a welcome home party that will put a smile on just about everyone’s face.

Other important people also attended last nights event such as our VP of construction who was on hand to mingle and answer any questions our new owners may have had and our social media guru who took pictures to post on the Facebook page and Twitter feed.

This welcome home party was extremely successful with one of the highest turnouts ever along with plenty to “high-five” and smile about. It’s a way for us to show that we appreciate them choosing a Lifetime Development and we hope they will remain very happy with their purchases.

To check out the photos from last nights event please have a look at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.474088099331530.1073741825.133647556708921&type=3

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Nominated for Project of the Year

Just recently announced were the finalists for this year’s BILD Awards, to be presented on April 26. This is the 33rd annual event and the second year they want to hear from you!

The People’s Choice Award was introduces to the BILD Awards in 2012. This is an opportunity where members and consumers can have their say on what they think is the best project in the GTA for that year. We’re proud to announce that we have been nominated for not one or two but ten BILD GTA Awards.

These nominations include; Project of the year (high-rise) for INDX, Best high-rise building design for Karma, Best e-mail marketing piece for Karma, Best newspaper ad for Karma, Best magazine ad for INDX & Karma, Best brochure for INDX & Karma, Best project logo for INDX & Karma, Best project rendering for INDX, Best website for INDX , and Best suite design for Karma.

We have also been nominated for the People’s Choice Award, which is the only BILD award that is based on votes. Could you please help us out by taking a few seconds to vote for INDX Condos? Just click on this link to submit your vote: http://www.bildawards.com/peoples-choice-award.htm

A great big THANK YOU to CentreCourt Developments, Page + Steele, IBI Group, blackjet, Brandon Communications, Architects Alliance and anyone else who have helped make our projects so successful!

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Market News: ‘We’re seeing a return to normalcy’

After more than 30 years in business—first working in the low-rise market before starting to develop condominium projects a decade ago—Lifetime Developments is certainly keeping busy, with a number of buildings in the works. There’s The Four Seasons Private Residences and Liberty Market Lofts (both in the midst of occupancy); Bisha Hotel & Residences, Karma and The Bond Condominiums (all under construction); and INDX, starting construction in 2014. They’re also planning to launch a boutique project at Spadina and St. Clair later this year. Brian Brown is Lifetime’s vice-president.

Q What’s your approach to starting a new project, or finding a property you want to develop?
A We’ve always been focused on making sure we find top-notch sites. As a result, we’ve been conservative in our original evaluation of sites, wanting to choose properties that reflect the right locations and the right type of projects. On average, I would say in a month we look at 10 different opportunities and of those 10 we quite often only look at one very carefully. And in a lot of cases, they’re not specific to a neighbourhood, they’re not specific to a size—they just have to be the right type of project for us.

Q With all of the growth Toronto has been seeing, do you think we’re running out of those really viable properties?
A There are still some great opportunities, for both very tall buildings and also more boutique-style buildings—we enjoy building both. We’ve been looking at some emerging neighbourhoods that we think will have great potential in the very near future.

Q What do you see for the market in 2013?
A I think 2013 is still going to be very strong—there’s still great interest and we still are experiencing strong traffic. There are buyers out there, and they’re looking for the right product at the right price. The last decade has been very strong and the last few years have been at the peak of where I think the sales cycle can go. What we’re experiencing now is a return to normalcy, which is something that is very good and more manageable.

Q What about the next five to 10 years? How will Toronto evolve?
A The exciting thing is that a lot of the changes that are happening we’re going to really experience in the next five years, because there are so many sites that are under construction. It’s not until these buildings are finished and people move in that the neighbourhood actually changes. So in the next five years, Toronto’s neighbourhoods are going to be completely different than they are right now.

NP – We’re seeing a return to normalcy (January 26, 2013)

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

M5V WINS GOLD!

CONGRATULATIONS M5V FOR WINNING GOLD

M5V’s LEED Gold accreditation demonstrates the buildings ability to be environmental sustainable within a urban atmosphere. M5V can now proudly exist within the downtown core knowing that it consumes less energy and water, emits less harmful toxins, and provides an adequate living space for its tenants.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, consisting of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighbourhoods. This rating system has quickly become a generic term among developers, architects, designers and contractors to describe high standards of green design, construction and operation.

LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with a standard intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Being introduced back in 1998, this program today encompasses more than 7,000 projects in the United States and over 30 countries including Canada. LEED has evolved since its original inception in 1998 to more accurately represent and incorporate emerging green building technologies. Today, LEED consists of a suite of nine rating systems for the design, construction and operation of buildings, homes and neighbourhoods.

Five overarching categories correspond to the specialities available under the LEED Accredited Professional Program. That suite currently consists of; Green Building Design & Construction, Green Interior Design & Construction, Green Building Operations & Maintenance, Green Neighbourhood Development, and lastly Green Home Design and Construction which is the category M5V was awarded.

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

Lifetime changed Liberty Village

Back in 2004, when Lifetime Developments purchased the industrial property that it eventually transformed into Liberty Market Building— a 300,000-square-foot complex on East Liberty St. with offices, studios and retail space that’s become the hub of Liberty Village —not everyone was convinced of the neighbourhood’s potential. “At the time we acquired the site, a lot of people said to us that they didn’t see Liberty Village the way we saw it, that they didn’t expect things would turn out the way we expected them to,” recalls Lifetime vice president Brian Brown.

Once the base of many of Toronto’s major industrial operations —including Massey Ferguson and Inglis— Liberty Village has over the past decade morphed into a trendy community of condos, lofts, converted office spaces and accompanying shops and restaurants. “It’s a real success story,” says Brown, who considers his company one of the neighbourhood’s pioneering builders, along with Liberty Village’s master plan developers CanAlfa, Plaza, the Monarch Group and Lanterra Developments. “It’s been talked about outside of Toronto as a great model for taking an area that’s been underdeveloped and underutilized and transforming it into an attractive and unique place where people want to live.” Whereas Lifetime initially had trouble selling commercial tenants on the virtues of the Liberty Market Building, today, Brown notes, there’s a waiting list for office space at the complex, which houses design, media, technology and marketing firms, as well as nearly a dozen restaurants and a range of other retail offerings. “It’s been hugely successful,” says Brown, noting that the building currently has a six per cent retail vacancy rate.

Just to the south of Liberty Market Building, Lifetime is finishing interior work on Liberty Market Lofts, an eight-storey brick-and glass condo at East Liberty St. and Hanna Ave. The project — built in conjunction with its affiliate BLVD Developments— has 290 lofts (most of them two-floor units) that range from 750 square feet to 1,290 square feet, with 17-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies or terraces. The development is nearly sold out, with only four penthouses remaining, priced from $449,990. Occupancy is slated for December.

Liberty Market Lofts has been designed as a live-work building and includes a business centre with meeting rooms, residents’ lounge with wet bar and kitchen, landscaped courtyard, fitness centre and an indoor basketball half-court; there’s even a dog-washing station. “For us, this has really been about creating a community in Liberty Village,” Brown says. “That’s what we’ve been able to do with our office and retail space and the live-work units. “These projects can survive on their own, but they also give back to the broader village.” Lifetime acquired the site that would become Liberty Market Building in 2004. While that was only eight years ago, Liberty Village— bound by King St., Dufferin St., the Gardiner Expressway, and Strachan Ave. — looked vastly different than it does today. “It was certainly hard to see the future potential of the village,” Brown says. “But we knew about (CanAlfa’s) master plan for the area and that there was going to be a lot of growth and that East Liberty St. would eventually connect to Strachan. So the building was an opportunity for us to pick up a piece of property in an area we thought would have a great boom.” The site previously had been used for warehouse and industrial purposes. “It was not a pretty looking building,” Brown says. Lifetime restored the original brick facade and the factory-sash window frames. “We thought we could do something really cool and really interesting that would pay homage to the history of the neighbourhood.”

With all properties to the west of the building zoned for employment and everything to the east zoned for residential development, Lifetime envisioned the Liberty Market Building serving as the central hub of the new neighbourhood. The developer overhauled the second and third floor of the building, bringing in new services and creating authentic loft-office spaces. The goal was to attract “high-quality” tenants, Brown says, but the existing building occupants weren’t forced out. ” The ground level was completely revamped to create retail store fronts across the base of the building.

Among the first tenants were a hair salon, dance studio and the Brazen Head Irish Pub. The Liberty Market Building has also attracted a host of trendy eateries, including Merci Mon Ami, Bar Vespa, Locus Lounge and Pastalicious. The recent opening of Claudio Aprile’s Origin Liberty Village generated quite a bit of buzz among local foodies. “When you’re able to sit in a restaurant like this,” says Brown over lunch at Origin, “it kind of reinforces the vision we had. “It shows how we’ve taken a real community approach to this development.”

-> Go to libertymarketlofts.ca for more information.

TStar – Lifetime changed Liberty Village – (Nov 3 2012)

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

LUXURY LIVING AT BISHA HOTEL & RESIDENCES

What exactly is “affordable luxury”?

For one, it’s what Lifetime Developments and INK Entertainment were striving for at
Bisha Hotel & Residences. And according to Mel Pearl, that meant smaller units and more emphasis on the lifestyle outside the suites’ walls. “We wanted people to be engaged in living beyond their condo,” says the Lifetime principal. “A great place is when the bar and the restaurant is busy.” And the condo-hotel will have a lot of public amenities to keep crowded, including a 24-hour café, a bar and lounge, a casual dining restaurant and a rooftop restaurant. Suites range from 379 to 699 square feet and from $303,900 to $532,900. Visit bisha.com.

NP – Luxury Living – Bisha Hotel and Residences(Oct 5 2012).CV01

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid

The Four Seasons Toronto Grand Opening

The contemporary hotel-condo complex, soars 55 storeys from the corner of Bay St. and Yorkville Avenue and includes 259 hotel rooms, 210 high-end condos and a gallery with over 1,700 commissioned paintings, sculptures and designs all showcasing Canadian talent. The penthouse sold for a record $28 million to an international buyer, and its preconstruction condos set a new record at $1,200 per square foot.

The luxury chain’s new flagship hotel is the newest Four Seasons, the 90th in the world-renowned five-star chain and is a dream finally brought to life in granite, glass, glamour and most of all in the heart of Toronto.

The floating marble staircase leads you to Café Boulud, the latest from chef Daniel Boulud which is far more bold and contemporary than the classic Studio Café. Right below the restaurant is dbar, featuring what is sure to become the most coveted seat in town — a semi-circular couch that would be sitting right at the bustling corner of Bay and Yorkville, were it not for the wall of glass that keeps the bar both separate from and part of the streetscape at the same time.

The hotel rooms are consummately Four Seasons and equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets, like an iPad, that guests have come to expect. All of those additional items plus the plumped pillows and fluffy bath robes are sure to lure even more big spenders to the city. All these five-star amenities definitely come with a high price tag of $400-a-night and up.

Sign Up

Stay informed on Lifetime Developments current and upcoming projects.

Your email address is invalid