Heritage Renovation + Adaptive Reuse

Honouring the Past, Building Tomorrow

We breathe new life into historically significant buildings, transforming old or underused structures into vibrant, energy-efficient, sustainable spaces.

Blending Innovation with Tradition

Our heritage and adaptive reuse projects combine visionary design with local community impact to shape environments that stand the test of time. From transforming heritage sites to creating vibrant new spaces, we design with purpose and sustainability at heart.

Any heritage preservation project should blend modern design with tradition. Our objective with your heritage renovation is to preserve the history of a site while expanding it with new possibilities for the future. We respect the craftsmanship and history of every building we work on, balancing architectural hierarchy with new materiality and sustainable, accessible features.

A Sensitive, Nuanced Approach

We don’t just repurpose older buildings; we restore the structure and aesthetic of an original design, while a sensitive approach is taken to leave some historic details in place, evoking a sense of timelessness and stability.

We have experience solving the unique challenges that come with your heritage renovation and adaptive reuse project, including:

Helping you understand your structure(s) in the context of the Ontario Heritage Act with knowledge of incentives, policies, and more.
Evaluating current and future needs to guarantee renovations support a long-term vision for flexibility and growth.
Conducting a comprehensive assessment of the building(s).
Engaging with all stakeholders to gather feedback which will inform key design decisions.
Reviewing and refining the project programme and schematic design to ensure that the renovation aligns with functionality and aesthetics.
Carefully balancing design aspirations with cost-effective strategies.
Incorporating adaptive reuse strategies and sustainability to reduce carbon footprint and construction costs to maximize the building’s potential.

“We brought [Martin Simmons Sweers] on board because they see the distinctive character of each project, particularly for historic projects. Their selection of quality materials to preserve the integrity of the design is the best I’ve seen in the region.”

George Georghiades, Lexington Park Real Estate Capital

We’ve repurposed some of the most iconic buildings in the region, such as the Old Post Office building in Waterloo, the Gaslight District in Cambridge, and the Breithaupt Block in downtown Kitchener, head office to high-tech tenant Google Canada.

See our Heritage + Adaptive Reuse Projects.

Interested in working with us? Get in touch.