Canada has a rich history in commercial timber construction – buildings commonly identified as ‘brick and beam’. Built between the 1850’s and 1920’s, these structures are characterized by big ol’ wooden columns and beams, high ceilings, creaky floors made of 2×6’s nailed together, sandblasted brick interior walls, and the occasional old industrial elevator large enough for a car, with hand-operated shifting cables and slat, wooden doors.
In Toronto alone, over 250 of these buildings* still stand and they’ve recently become a ‘hot’ commodity.
Companies like Allied Properties REIT are buying up every building that hits the market and currently own over 150 brick and beam properties across Canada in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Kitchener, Calgary and Vancouver.
The Toronto Carpet Factory, made up of seven timber buildings in Liberty Village, has become the heart of Toronto’s creative community, housing tech startups, interior design, marketing, entertainment and fashion studios and public relations agencies. Buildings such as the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, St. Lawrence Market and numerous other old timber buildings along Spadina, Adelaide, Richmond, John, Peter, King, Queen and Front Streets have become the core of our fashion and entertainment districts.
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