1100 Lansdowne Ave., unit 339, Toronto
Asking Price: $2,798,000
Taxes: $6,447.44 (2025)
Monthly maintenance fee: $1,996.07
Agent: Adrian Mainella (Sotheby’s International Realty Canada)
The backstory
Architect David Grant-Rubash stood at the centre of a hard loft in Toronto’s Junction Triangle and contemplated the vestiges of an Edwardian-era foundry.
“Can we go straight up and carve through the existing structure of the building?” was the question he grappled with.
Owner Mathew De Sa had purchased the three-level unit at the Foundry Lofts in 2021 with an eye to opening up the space vertically, but his vision had already been rejected by a few architects wary of the scope and challenge.
Mr. Grant-Rubash, the founder of Toronto-based Phaedrus Studio, was the first to appear undaunted by the prospect of busting open the framework of steel beams and slabs of precast concrete without fully knowing what he would find inside.
“As an architect, you’re working within the realm of mystery,” he said.
The existing three-storey tube housing an elevator only added to the complexity of the task.
The path to a solution became smoother in 2023 after updates to the Ontario building code allowed for the construction of a circular staircase in the loft.
Mr. Grant-Rubash designed a sinuous stair with white oak treads and integrated lighting.
He figures his willingness to tackle a project that others spurned may be down to his specialized studies in Copenhagen and Kansas State University, where he earned a Master’s of interior architecture and product design.
“This is within the wheelhouse of my education,” Mr. Grant-Rubash said, adding that he also brought in a structural engineer.
“He wasn’t scared either.”
Updates to the Ontario building code allowed for the construction of a circular staircase.Birdhouse Media
The house today
The landmark building where workers once fabricated fire hydrants, iron gates and components for locomotives provides cavernous spaces, red brick walls and industrial-sized windows.
The goal, said Mr. Grant-Rubash, was to keep the value of what was already there while making each part earn its place.
“A lot of the qualities of the space were already inherent in it,” said Mr. Grant-Rubash. We were amping it up.”
Mr. Grant-Rubash took advantage of the loft’s two-storey windows to bring in large pieces of steel and the prefabricated forms that became the riser and rail of the staircase.
The elevator was removed and stored on an upper level until construction was complete, then dropped back in from above.
Today, the loft provides two bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,757 square feet of living space on four levels.
Mr. De Sa and his wife, Sara Kazemeini, favoured minimalist design, pale tones and warm materials throughout the loft.
Mr. Grant-Rubash selected white oak flooring with a light wash to complement the exposed brick of the defunct factory.
The entryway leads to a powder room and the main floor kitchen with custom cabinets, a rounded island, integrated appliances and a casual dining area.
The second level provides a room for lounging and watching television, along with an office nook, built-in storage and a full bathroom.
The staircase winds to the third level, where the space soars to a ceiling height of 29 feet. The exposed brick wall is the backdrop for a contemporary ventless electric fireplace that uses water vapours to create virtual flames.
The primary bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and built-in wardrobes is also on that level.
The ensuite bathroom has a stand-alone tub on a raised platform, a walk-in shower and a suspended double vanity.
A second bedroom on that level can also serve as an office.
A separate staircase leads to the fourth-level loft, which overlooks the great room and provides close-up views of the truss system.
The first-floor kitchen.Birdhouse Media
The Best Feature
The third-floor great room preserves the building’s heritage in the form of clerestory windows, steel trusses and the vaulted ceiling.
The complex truss structure was an efficient and economical method of supporting the side walls and the roof, Mr. Grant-Rubash pointed out.
“It has a lightness and a delicateness to it.”
Mr. Grant-Rubash envisioned the great room as the setting for celebrations, large family dinners and elegant soirees.
There’s room for lounging and a large dining table, along with a wine cabinet and a wet bar with a built-in dishwasher.
The architect pointed out the space is flexible, however, and another homeowner might create a home office or library on that level.
The light from the monitor atop the shuttered factory illuminates the space below in sunlight and moonlight, said Mr. Grant-Rubash. “It continues to reveal itself to the people who live there.”
Editor’s note: Two photo captions in a previous version of this article misidentified two spaces in the home. Those captions have been corrected.