Toronto has been rapidly densifying over the past couple decades, as population growth and land availability have necessitated the push to build increasingly taller, denser neighbourhoods across the city. This rapid intensification has raised a lot of questions and concerns for the quality of life in our city, particularly when it comes to discussions around parks and public space and the urgent need of an improved and expanded public realm. More and more developments are providing ample outdoor amenities along with POPS space, and the City has embarked on ambitious plans across the region to refresh existing parkland and to provide new where possible. Landscape architecture is thus an integral component of Toronto’s growth, and MEP Design Inc. is one firm at the forefront of this public realm renaissance across the city.
Trinity Square Public Labyrinth, image courtesy of MEP Design Inc.
MEP Design: Landscape Architects was founded in Toronto in 1999 by Michael E. Presutti, OALA CSLA, who brings international experience to his practice having completed projects in the United States and Asia. MEP Design offers a full range of services from master planning and design through to construction, as either prime consultant or as part of a larger team. Their portfolio spans many different sectors and types of public spaces, from public parks both large and small, to infill condominium developments and mixed-use master planned communities across the GTA. MEP Design’s unique landscapes focus on power and simplicity, developed through a collaborative and extensive design process.
Jesse Ketchum Park, image courtesy of MEP Design Inc.
There are several noteworthy projects that MEP Design has completed in Toronto. One of the earliest noteworthy and memorable projects is the Trinity Square Public Labyrinth, tucked away alongside Trinity Church next to the CF Eaton Centre. Completed in 2004, the labyrinth is the largest in the city and was the first permanent labyrinth installation in Toronto, its design staying true to the proportions and precise geometry of the 13th-century labyrinth of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Its tiled pattern provides a serene contemplative walking path that is accessible 24-hours a day to the public, and also includes a cast bronze Braille labyrinth as part of the design. The Trinity Square Labyrinth remains to this day as a quiet oasis of calm in the heart of the bustling Downtown Bay-Yonge district.
Trinity Square Public Labyrinth, image courtesy of MEP Design Inc.
MEP Design also oversaw the revitalization of the popular Jesse Ketchum Park, one of the few public spaces in the heart of Yorkville and a much-needed place of respite for local residents in the rapidly densifying neighbourhood. Working closely with the local ratepayers’ groups, community garden groups, and local residents, MEP Design refreshed the park and provided a new iconic canopy that draws visitors into the people-focused space.
Jesse Ketchum Park, image courtesy of MEP Design Inc.
MEP Design also partners with many developers across the city to provide creative landscape solutions for both small- and large-scale developments. MEP Design is collaborating with developers RioCan REIT and architects RAW Design at 2956 Eglinton Avenue East, a large 3-tower condo development in Scarborough adjacent to the Eglinton GO station. The development includes a 930m² public parkland dedication, along with a new POPS and new landscaping along the streetscape. In addition to these grade-level components, MEP is also designing rooftop terraces for the three towers, providing a combined 1,394m² of outdoor amenity space.
Rendering of 2956 Eglinton East, image via submission to the City of Toronto.
In the west end of the city, MEP Design is working with developers Medallion Capital Group and Turner Fleischer Architects at 260 High Park Avenue, a 4-storey condo development that is repurposing the former High Park-Alhambra United Church. The unique project features a courtyard in the U-shaped building bordered by the heritage church structure, with new landscaping along the street to improve the public realm. The project also includes a rooftop terrace for the residents, all of which takes inspiration from the retained heritage church that serves as a landmark for the local community.
Rendering of the entry courtyard at 260 High Park Avenue, image courtesy of Medallion.
Closer to the centre of the city, MEP Design is collaborating with Stafford Developments and Arcadis at 429 Walmer Road, a 19-storey condo building proposed near Bathurst and St Clair. The landscaping and pedestrian realm on the site will be revitalized and improved with MEP’s proposal, comprising roughly 380m² of outdoor amenity space, including a 120m² roof terrace on the mezzanine level.
Rendering of the landscaping at 429 Walmer Road, image via submission to the City of Toronto.
With nearly 25 years of experience designing unique landscapes across the GTA and beyond, MEP Design is in a prime position to continue injecting new life into Toronto’s public realm through unique, site-specific designs focused on pedestrian comfort, natural beauty, and simple, strong concepts. You can find out more about MEP Design by checking out their associated projects and their Database files on UrbanToronto, or by visiting their company website here.
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