You can explore Toronto’s architecture in more detail through a lecture series or course with Marta. Illustrated talks, discussions, and walking tours are all used to reveal our city’s architecture and related history. Please scroll down to see what’s available, and contact Marta for more information.

Toronto's Neighbourhood Architecture

Toronto has often been described as a "City of Neighbourhoods." Some began as villages or towns while others were suburbs before joining the City. Through hundreds of images we will explore the architecture and history of approximately a dozen of our neighbourhoods. Who lived there and why? What form did their houses and businesses take? What remains today of the original settlements? Examples will include Yorkville, the Beach, and the Junction. One class will be a walking tour. (Non-credit course; no assignments or tests.)

Location: University of Toronto downtown campus

Dates & times: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm -8:30 pm, Mar. 6 - Apr. 24, 2012 (8 sessions)

Fee: $290

Course code: SCS 2438-002

University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: www.learn.utoronto.ca     phone 416-978-2400

Clay to Capital: The Building of Toronto

Have you ever wondered why the city looks the way it does? During its first century Toronto evolved from a military base into a manufacturing centre; later it became a financial and cultural centre. Along the way, Toronto became known as a "City of Neighbourhoods." These roles — along with transportation modes and urban planning approaches — have shaped the city's built form and will be explored through this illustrated lecture series that includes two walking tours. We'll also discuss hot topics such as architectural preservation and the redevelopment of the waterfront. (Non-credit course; no assignments or tests.)

Location: George Brown College, St. James Campus, 200 King Street East (short walk or streetcar ride from King subway station)

Dates & times: Saturdays, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, Apr. 21 - June 2, 2012 (6 sessions; no class on May 19 of long weekend)

Fee: $232.74; seniors 65 & over pay half

Course code: ARCH9011

George Brown College Continuing Education: www.coned.georgebrown.ca     phone 416-415-2000

Toronto’s Commercial Architecture:                                       Shops To Skyscrapers

From small shops to multinational corporations, enterprises have long used architecture to capture attention, attract customers, and project an image. Since the mid-1800s, lavish ornamentation and classical columns have given way to sleek towers. We'll explore 200 years of Toronto's shops, hotels, factories, theatres, banks, and office buildings through hundreds of images and a walking tour. You'll learn more about some of the city's landmarks and discover little-known treasures. (Non-credit course; no assignments or tests.)

Location: University of Toronto downtown campus

Dates & times: Wednesdays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, May 2 - June 20, 2012 (8 sessions)

Fee: $290

Course code: SCS 2266

University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: www.learn.utoronto.ca     phone 416-978-2400

Architecture: All Around Us

Architecture is everywhere and affects our daily experience of a street, a neighbourhood, and a city — often unconsciously. This course will help you to really see the architecture around you, and to express why you love or loathe a structure. We'll examine the use of ornament, materials, scale, and other elements. How and why have their uses changed? We'll discuss and compare our reactions to these components and the resulting buildings. One class will be a walking tour. (Non-credit course; no assignments or tests.)

Location: University of Toronto downtown campus

Dates & times: 2012 dates to be determined (8 sessions of 2 hours each)

Fee: $290 (2011)

Course code: SCS 2591-001

University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: www.learn.utoronto.ca     phone 416-978-2400

Toronto: An Architectural History

You can learn much about the city's buildings through this comprehensive evening course. It explores the history of Toronto's architecture from before its founding to the present, concentrating on the most influential periods, styles, architects, and buildings. Over one thousand photographs of Toronto's architecture — including buildings now gone — are shown, and two walking tours are conducted.

We periodically step back from examining individual buildings to explore questions such as:

• Why is the financial district at King & Bay? Where was it before?
• How have various neighbourhoods, such as The Annex and Wychwood Park, come to look the way they do?
• Why have so many interesting old buildings been demolished?

Location: Ryerson University, Gerrard & Church streets (short walk from both College and Dundas subway stations)

Dates & times: Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm, Sept. 13 - Dec. 12, 2012 (14 sessions)

Fee: $610 (2011); seniors 60 & over pay half

Course Code: CKAR210

Ryerson University Continuing Education:                           www.ce-online.ryerson.ca     phone 416-979-5035