7 St. Thomas harmonizes retail and commercial design through an inventive interplay of form and light, blending Victorian and contemporary materials to create a unified work. Six heritage townhouses are integrated into a three storey podium, with a sinuous six storey tower above. The development houses retail at ground level and condominium office spaces throughout, blending high design, ecological responsibility, and civic enhancement.

Located around the corner from the busy Bay/Bloor intersection, the design was born from a desire to seamlessly integrate into the existing fabric of the neighbourhood and to contribute to the urban environment. The building peels back from neighbouring context to preserve the light and views of existing residential buildings. A piazza-like square at the corner of St. Thomas and along Sultan Streets form a public amenity in the densely built area.

The podium wraps around and incorporates the heritage buildings matching them in scale and proportion, using glass and stone to contrast and enhance the existing facades. The tower is wrapped in fritted glass and undulates in response to the existing fabric of the site, allowing for light penetration. The contrast between the solidity of the red brick heritage houses below with the translucent permeability of the glass tower - which steps back and floats above the Victorian frontages - highlights both typologies.

The building contributes to the urban environment through various features including high performance curtain wall with a ceramic frit that reduces thermal transmission, large capacity rain cisterns which feed back into the building's grey-water system, and water-efficient green-roof terraces on the third and ninth floors. Capitalizing on its position in the midst of a growing residential neighbourhood, the close proximity to multiple transit lines and high acceptance of walking and cycling make 7 St. Thomas a functionally integrated development and model for urban sustainability.

Able Engineering, Caliber, EcoVert, ERA Architects, GH3, Jabolnsky, Ast, and Partners, MMM Group, Randal Brown and Associates Engineering Ltd., Studio Munge, David Pontarini Hariri Pontarini Architects, Douglas Keith Hariri Pontarini Architects, Mark Siemicki Hariri Pontarini Architects, Matthew Hallett Hariri Pontarini Architects, Michael Attard Hariri Pontarini Architects, Paulo Milanese Hariri Pontarini Architects

Links:
- https://www.guardianglass.com/commercial/Projects/Projectsearchlistings/ProjectDetail/index.htm?projid=12006128

Credits:
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Mark Siemicki
- Studio Munge - Interior Design Consultant
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Partner-In-Charge - David Pontarini
- Caliber - Project Construction Manager
- Jabolnsky, Ast, and Partners - Structural Consultant
- EcoVert - Sustainability Consultant
- MMM Group - Site Servicing Consultant
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Paulo Milanese
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Project Architect - Michael Attard
- Able Engineering - Mechanical/Electrical Consultant
- ERA Architects - Heritage Consultant
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Douglas Keith
- Hariri Pontarini Architects - Matthew Hallett
- Randal Brown and Associates Engineering Ltd. - Code Consultant
- GH3 - Landscape Architect