No. 12: Because prefab is fab
This guy makes really cool all-season backyard office pods for the WFH set—himself included
Lockdown pushed families into home-expansion panic mode, with parents forced to turn every forgotten corner into usable space: unfinished basements became makeshift offices, kids’ bedrooms became ad hoc dance studios and bathrooms became the only place to find a quiet escape for conference calls.
To the rescue came prefabricated construction, a practical, affordable and quick way for cramped residents to squeeze every last inch out of their square footage. When the pandemic hit, Trevor Gilbert had just launched his own prefab construction company, Modeco, focusing on modular bathrooms for apartment developments. But once he and his wife were both stuck inside their Etobicoke home struggling to work and care for their toddler, he decided to pivot, using his existing machinery to manufacture all-season backyard office pods instead. His own jazzed-up version features a climbing wall for his son and a pullout bed for potential guests or quarantiners. Families can score their own basic, fully finished 10-by-10 studio for less than $10,000—freeing up much-needed space inside the main house.
For houses with an adjoining laneway, R-Hauz Solutions designed a prefab garage with a bedroom suite above, all of it costing less than building from scratch (they start at $225,000), and the entire process from design to assembly can be completed in five months. It’s a speedy solution for maxed-out households looking to keep extended family close—but not too close.
To people fleeing the city for more square footage and less density, we say pffft. Pandemic or not, Toronto is thriving. Let us count the ways
The People’s Pantry started small and grew fast. Now, nearly 500 volunteers devote their culinary skills, bikes, cars and time to help out
Launching a restaurant is risky in the best of times. These fearless folks did it during Covid
They’re the scientists and specialists working on the development and distribution of a vaccine
Donté Colley’s videos are little pearls of joy
They spend their free time printing face shields, making music, and helping Torontonians stay connected
Plastering everything from 20-storey buildings to small traffic signal controller cabinets
Here’s how Torontonians came together to save Pam’s Roti Shop from closure
The pandemic turned our best wine bars into streetside patios, bottle bodegas and de facto wine clubs
Their success is one of the few happy small-business stories of Covid
If we can’t have nice weather, at least we can hold on to the summery vibes
And Toronto brands have stepped up to meet the demand
The pandemic meant postponement for thousands of bethrothed Torontonians. These four couples made other plans
Four examples of random kindness in our midst
By the end of this year, Toronto will have 40 kilometres of new bike lanes—the largest single-year expansion in our history
Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow film and TV production for long
Here’s just a sampling of the heavy dose of CanCon on the Billboard charts
Here are just a handful of the hyper-talented founders, CEOs, CTOs and managers who’ve brought their skills to the city
Toronto is about to get the tallest mass timber structure in North America
They’re a beacon of hope, a catalyst for progress and—oh yeah—a really good team
And Bike Share added 300 of them to its fleet
