Rock climbing duo hire top notch team to redo Victorian era cottage

Globe and Mail

08-05-2025

694 Richmond St. W., Toronto
Asking Price: $3.4-million
Taxes: $8,612.00 (2024)
Lot Size: 22 by 96 feet
Agent: Paul Johnston, Right at Home Realty
Indoor rock climbing was unexplored territory in Toronto when high-performance climbers Sharon McCrindle and Bob Bergman opened Joe Rockhead's in 1990.
The pioneering couple soon built a larger gym in a converted warehouse in Liberty Village and, as the sport burgeoned in popularity over the next decade, became friends with many of the members.
It was some time before they learned that one of the diehards navigating the route up a towering vertical wall was an architect at a renowned Toronto firm.
Mr. Bergman can't quite recall how he discovered his pal Marty was Martin Kohn of Kohn Shnier Architects, but during a major transformation of the gym by Blackwell Structural Engineers, there was lots of conversation around the ins and outs of building.
'I didn't even know he was an architect at the time,' says Mr. Bergman. I just knew him as a climber.'
At the time, Ms. McCrindle and Mr. Bergman owned a large mid-century modern home in north Etobicoke, but they began contemplating a more urban lifestyle in the area where they already spent so much time working and socializing.
The couple found an old Victorian-era cottage in the residential streets south of buzzy West Queen West.
'We frequented this neighbourhood a lot. We knew every nook and cranny,' Mr. Bergman says.
The rundown house was likely built around 1870, on what was then military land, as part of the garrison housing for nearby Fort York, Mr. Bergman says.
'It was an absolute disaster,' Mr. Bergman says of the structure they couldn't salvage.
Ms. McCrindle and Mr. Bergman had a penchant for modern architecture, and they had visited many landmark buildings designed by such masters as Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe.
Kohn Shnier's vision was a natural fit with their own.
The award-winning firm has worked on varied projects that include the revitalization of University College at the University of Toronto, Young People's Theatre and an innovative habitat for chimney swifts, which are a threatened bird species in Ontario.
As Ms. McCrindle and Mr. Bergman prepared to renovate or rebuild the cottage, they brought in Kohn Shnier for the design and Blackwell for the construction.
'It was serendipitous,' Mr. Bergman says of the way the team came together.
The couple's existing ranch-style house suited a large spread, but the layout would never work on a compact downtown property.
'We needed to figure out a way to have it fit city lots,' says Mr. Bergman.
They decided to work with the footprint of the existing cottage, which meant they did not need to apply for a variance from local planning rules.
The architects designed a three-storey house with 2,200 square feet of above-ground living space plus a lower level.
Mr. Kohn's choice of a crisp red brick for the exterior also allowed the house to meld with the streetscape, and a touch zinc cladding on the upper level blends with nearby laneways.
'You drive down the street past it, and you don't even realize it's there,' Mr. Bergman says.
The architects designed a low-profile terrace which serves the same purpose as an old-fashioned front porch after Mr. Bergman's grandmother advised Ms. McCrindle to insist on that feature.
'I had to tell his grandma I did indeed get my deck,' says Ms. McCrindle.
The architects' placement of the main entrance partway down the side of the building also allows for a wider living room at the front and allows the house to step back from the street, Mr. Bergman adds.
The design of the foyer is especially practical, he says, because it allows residents and visitors to make a quick turn into the living room at the front or take groceries straight to the kitchen at the rear. It also provides quick access to the stairs to the basement where there's lots of storage for everyday belongings and sports gear.
'It's so clever,' he says of the layout.
The home's living room has a 10-foot high ceiling and a large expanse of glazing. The lift-and-slide door opens the room to the outdoors.
Throughout the interior, Bauhaus windows and doors are trimmed in Spanish cedar.
Cooking and dining take place at the rear of the house, with an L-shaped kitchen, built-in appliances, and mahogany cabinets. Another expanse of glass opens to the back garden.
Outside, there's a large ipe deck in a back yard enclosed by cedar fencing.
Throughout the house, floors are polished concrete.
A flight of stairs with open risers leads to the second floor.
When the couple moved into the house in 2007, their daughter Astrid was a baby.
A small set of stairs leads to her room overlooking the street.
The main bathroom on that floor has a built-in tub and walk-in shower.
The primary suite takes up the rear of the second level. In the sleeping area, the architects designed a built-in bed, headboard and night tables, with storage above.
There's a bathroom with a double vanity and walk-in shower.
Stairs lead to the third floor, with another open living space.
There's also a lower level which serves as a home theatre room.
Ms. McCrindle and Mr. Bergman, who sold Joe Rockhead's about six years ago, are moving on to new adventures. Astrid now trains as a triathlete in British Columbia.
The couple has seen many changes to the neighbourhood over the years. A few more modern homes have appeared on the street amongst the traditional Victorians.
Ms. McCrindle says the front terrace is a lovely perch on the quiet stretch of Richmond.
'We can sit outside at night,' she says. 'It's not a super busy street, but it's interesting.'
At the rear of the property, the couple commissioned local artist Skam to bring life to the detached two-storey garage and the laneway with a vibrant mural.
The top level is a bright and open room with a private terrace at each end.
'It has evolved over the years,' Mr. Bergman says of the flexible space.
At one time it was the spot where the family gathered to watch television or one person could quietly read a book.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple moved the TV to the lower level and turned the third floor into a home gym.
'It's got beautiful views,' says Ms. McCrindle. 'It's my favourite space.'