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Lawrence Orton Early Learning & Child Care Centre

The Lawrence-Orton Childcare Facility is one of three pilot communities in Toronto Community Housing’s ReSet program, which focuses on building renewal and socioeconomic action plans with residents.
project Type
Public Places
location
Toronto, Ontario
client
Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) and City of Toronto Children's Services
dates
2016 - 2020
expertise
Urban Design, Architecture
land Information
awards

Ontario Association of Architects, Award of Excellence, 2024

High-rise residential tower with street-level retail daycare along a busy urban thoroughfare.
Public Places

Lawrence Orton Early Learning & Child Care Centre

High-rise residential tower with street-level retail daycare along a busy urban thoroughfare.
project Type
Public Places
location
Toronto, Ontario
client
Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) and City of Toronto Children's Services
land Information
dates
2016 - 2020
expertise
Urban Design, Architecture
awards

Ontario Association of Architects, Award of Excellence, 2024

The Lawrence-Orton Childcare Facility is one of three pilot communities in Toronto Community Housing’s ReSet program, which focuses on building renewal and socioeconomic action plans with residents.

Lawrence-Orton Community Centre and Childcare Facility is a joint Toronto Community Housing-Children’s Services project comprising five childcare classrooms, administrative spaces and a dedicated outdoor play area for 54 children ranging in age from infants to five years old.

Working with ERA Architects, we went through an extensive community engagement process which resulted in the new community and childcare centre. We collaborated with Children’s Services on the design of the facility and worked closely with Toronto Community Housing throughout its construction.

Garden planter box installed outside a daycare's communal area.
Covered outdoor play area at a childcare facility with riding toys and play equipment, featuring modern architecture and residential buildings visible in the background.
Modern childcare facility courtyard featuring a wooden bench seating area, planted tree, and colorful mural on the exterior wall.
Modern entrance and drop-off area for high-rise residential building featuring a covered canopy with white and blue accents.

This precise intervention at the base of an apartment building shows how reimagining a blank façade — to better frame the courtyard and strengthen connections with surrounding buildings — can lead to a design that’s more responsive to the community’s needs.

Modern preschool classroom featuring open layout with natural light, wooden storage units, reading nook with bean bag, and organized educational materials and toys.

Through engagement, we supported a community-led design process that delivered better outcomes within the existing neighbourhood fabric.

Cozy reading nook in a classroom featuring comfortable seating, pillows, and fall-themed decorations above the window.
School hallway with built-in wooden cubbies and benches showing exposed utility systems on white ceiling.

A key goal of the project was to improve the energy efficiency of the 1960s-era building, known for its exposed slab edges. In a joint venture with ERA Architects, we leveraged the Social Housing Affordable Retrofit Program (SHARP) and SEP to implement a range of energy upgrades.

Modern apartment building courtyard with raised wooden planters and communal gathering space in an urban residential setting.