Toronto Community Housing received an Honourable Mention in the 2012 Heritage Toronto Awards for the reconstruction of 42 Hubbard Boulevard, a 27-unit, three-storey red brick building in the Beach. The annual Heritage Toronto Awards, the longest-running heritage awards program in Canada, recognizes and celebrates innovative work and programs that preserve and promote Toronto's heritage.

 
Photo courtesy of Allan Kosmajac

Three projects in the same category as 42 Hubbard-William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship-received Awards of Excellence, including the City of Toronto's restoration of the Canadian Stage Company Theatre, Ontario Heritage Trust's refurbishment of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, and the Rector and Wardens of St. Clement's Anglican Church renovation and restoration of the St. Clement's Anglican Church. The transformation of the James Cooper Mansion at the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne Streets earned Tridel Inc. an Award of Merit.

 
42 Hubbard Boulevard before and during construction 

"Receiving this award from Heritage Toronto is recognition of the amazing work that Toronto Community Housing is doing in neighbourhoods across the city," said Greg Spearn, Toronto Community Housing Chief Development Officer.

"Toronto Community Housing was pleased to work with partners from Van Elslander Carter Architects and Lisgar Construction, whose passion for what they do is showcased with the amazing finished building. To be shortlisted with all the other nominees was truly an honour."Toronto Community Housing completely reconstructed 42 Hubbard Boulevard preserving all the original 1928 building facades. The building structural elements were replaced including a challenging engineering process to stabilize soils. Many existing materials were re-used including some of the original wood beams and the stained glass window in the lobby. Rebuilding the entire interior enabled Toronto Community Housing to improve living conditions for tenants. A generous grant from the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program (SHRRP) provided funding for TCHC to proceed with the project.

Toronto Community Housing's Mara Nicolaou, Senior Construction Manager, and Vincent Tong, Development Manager, led the reconstruction of 42 Hubbard Boulevard. The new features of the building include:

• Bright and modern apartments
• A new elevator, replacing the central staircase
• A barrier free entrance-no more steps to the front door
• A new common room, laundry room and rooftop patio with views to the beach
• Energy efficient heating, air conditioning, lighting and building controls
• Re-insulated building skin from the inside maintaining the original pattern of window openings and replacing with energy efficient windows
• Rooftop solar panels to generate electricity
  An extensive green roof to help cool the building and prevent rainwater runoff