You've likely seen Toronto's iconic cube house, and now the architectural icon has seen its day. Well, it's seen its day at 1 Sumach St., but there's still a chance the modular, tilted, green cube home could be saved.
Back in May, the property was purchased by commercial real estate expert Taso Boussoulas and real estate developer Jeff Craig for $2,750,000.
Way back, in 2002, the property sold for $265,000. It was bought by the founder of the Coffee Time franchise, Tom Michalopoulos, and the cubes were used as billboards for Coffee Time.
Now, Boussalas and Craig plan to redevelop the land which sits beside the Don Valley Parkway.
“Two people reached out to me saying we are interested in buying,” Boussoulas tells the Toronto Star. He also said his choice would be to auction the units or donate the structure to the city for relocation on city land.
A donation to the City of Toronto would ultimately be a process in and of itself, but Boussoulas also suggested to the Star it could go to the homeless.
And in Toronto, where condo sales dominate about 70 per cent of property sales, this proposed mixed-use development could potentially see high demand. Still, the entire approval process for the development could take about two years.
Toronto's cube house back when it was also a billboard. (Photo courtesy of John-Paul Darby via Flickr.com)
The architectural wonder was built by architect Ben Kutner and his partner Jeff Brown in 1996. Since then, it has been occupied as a private residence and used as a coffee shop billboard.
The cube home's design was actually inspired by similar cube homes in Rotterdam and Helmond in the 1970s. Piet Blom, the architect of those original structures, thought of the cubes as “trees” with living space branching out from a trunk-like base. When these homes are in groups, they become “forests.”
The massive project would include 20% affordable units, "enabling one of the largest yields of new affordable homes in a single development application," as well as one school, three daycares, 9.4 acres of parks, and much, much more.
Canadian real estate company Longridge Partners is turning to the next generation for insight as it offers up $100,000 in prize money for students who put together the winning plans for its 624-acre greenbelt property.
Many first-time home buyers and wise investors are turning their sights west, to beautiful Burlington. And waiting for them there is Latch Development's 1989 Condominium.
The project, located at 134-226 Harwood Avenue South in Ajax, was being undertaken by LeMine Investment Group when it was placed under receivership in April 2021.
Ontario has consistently ranked in the bottom half of provinces in terms of homebuilding per capita over the last six years — the data for 2024 being an indicator that things are only getting worse.
According to CMHC, housing starts across Canada shifted up from 223,391 units in September to 240,761 units this October, though the six-month trend remains "flat."
Nestled amongst lush foliage, 32 Arjay Crescent, with its grand exterior and sophisticated interior designs, offers one of the most stunning homes in the neighbourhood.
For those looking to lay down roots in Sherwood Park, a true best-of-both-worlds destination, now may be just the right time — as the community welcomes Hearthstone.
Revised development plans from Pinnacle International ask for increased heights across the board, bringing the proposed storey-count up to 54, 44, and 15 storeys.
Though the Bank of Canada has delivered four interest rate cuts since June, including a healthy 50-bps cut in October, the growth in sales is being attributed to a jump in listings.
(Photo courtesy of Sherman Clarke via Flickr.com)
Toronto's cube house back when it was also a billboard. (Photo courtesy of John-Paul Darby via Flickr.com)
