Pride Toronto and Zeidler Architecture have both expanded their office space at Castlepoint Numa’s historic Auto BLDG in Toronto’s Lower Junction Triangle.
After outgrowing their existing spaces in just over two years, Pride Toronto has doubled down, expanding from roughly 4,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet, while Zeidler has expanded their space by 25 per cent.
Built in 1919 and now 90 per cent occupied, the Auto BLDG was adaptively reused to support office space for those in the creative, cultural and digital sectors. Some amenities include rooftop terraces, at-grade eateries, high-speed internet connectivity, secured bike room, storage facilities and more.
“We are pleased that both Pride Toronto and Zeidler have extended their commitment to the Auto BLDG, a move that reinforces our belief that even though we are in a hybrid environment, a well-located, well-designed, sustainable office space that fosters community building will continue to meet the needs of modern tenants,” said Harley Valentine, partner, Castlepoint Numa Developments.
Pride Toronto made the Auto BLDG its headquarters in 2020. With its staff count already doubling in size, and continuing to grow, additional space was needed to foster a collaborative environment coupled with smaller meeting rooms for private meetings. The turnkey, open-concept space supports the organization’s expanding programming, including community working sessions, parade logistics and a safe space for external 2SLGBTQI+ agencies.
Bobby MacPherson, director of operations at Pride Toronto, said the organization has experienced much growth over the last few years. “While we quickly outgrew our original space, we were not ready to say goodbye to this location and community,” he said. “During our time here, we’ve had an opportunity to create and grow relationships with the Auto BLDG community, including the likes of MOCA and Akin Collective. This building has a strong history of arts and culture, and Pride Toronto looks forward to continuing this legacy for 2SLGBTQI+ generations to come.”
Zeidler also moved into the Auto BLDG in 2020. The expansion of their office space comes with immense growth in the architecture firm’s business, across Canada. As an award-winning adaptive reuse heritage project, the Auto BLDG aligns with Zeidler’s reputation as sustainable and responsible architects.
“The Auto BLDG has many linear embodiments to the values of our firm, from adaptive reuse and sustainability to fostering a collaborative community for arts and culture,” said Edward Chan, partner, Zeidler. “This space is representative of how we want to work, offering opportunities for collaboration, spontaneous interactions, and open discussions.
“We were originally drawn to the Auto BLDG because of the area’s renaissance, which represented how our firm was growing and changing. As our work in Ontario continues to expand, we wanted to stay within the confines of this building to maintain and grow the culture created at the Auto BLDG.”
Zeidler Architecture increases its footprint by a quarter.
