Edmonton’s Historic Lofts

The Phillips Building is a five-storey rectangular brick commercial building located on four city lots a block north of Jasper Avenue on 104th Street in Edmonton's original historic warehouse district. It is architecturally significant as a representative example of commercial warehouse design that characterized Edmonton's growth during the pre-World War One economic boom. Originally leased to the Western and Cartage Company, it was built to store manufactured goods for regional and northern distribution.

Completed in 1913 and touted to be a made-in-Edmonton building, the Phillips Building was designed and constructed by Purcell and Foote, local architects and builders, and the Edmonton firm of Alsip and Company supplied locally made sand lime brick. A unique feature was an internal 22-foot arcade running through the centre of the building to rear loading docks — described at the time as a "first of its kind in Edmonton."

The building was severely altered in the 1960s when a façade of metal cladding, marble, and beige stone was applied, masking its original appearance for nearly 40 years. In 2000 it was slated for demolition, but public outcry saved it. Due to a public outcry, the building was saved from the wreckers ball and was designated as a Municipal Historic Resource in 2001. In 2002, renovations were completed by Chandos Construction to bring the building back to its original character with its front façade restored to its original 1912 appearance.

The McLeod Building is a nine-storey brick and terra cotta structure in the Chicago Commercial style on a prominent corner in downtown Edmonton. It is valued for its landmark status, its architecture and its unique decoration, which reflects the height of Edwardian-era architectural influences in Edmonton. Noted as the best local example of its kind, its style reflects a refined neo-classicism that was reinvented at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and came into popular use in American cities in the early part of the twentieth century. The building was patterned after the Polson Block in Spokane, Washington and was designed by the same architect, J.K. Dow. 

It is the only remaining terracotta-clad building in Edmonton. The McLeod is the finest example of Chicago School architecture in Edmonton, featuring classical architectural detailing including keystones, voussoirs, rustication, antefixae, triglyphs, modillion and polychromed friezes, ornate pillars, and ornate cornices. 

The grand lobby features marble walls, a coffered ceiling, elegant sitting areas, a spacious foyer, a statement staircase, and three elevators. Inside, enjoy a bright open concept layout with white cabinetry, original terrazzo flooring, and large west-facing windows.

Set in Edmonton's warehouse district, Seventh Street Lofts adopts a scale and industrial character compatible with existing, older buildings. The project is composed of three distinct buildings: Phase 1 — conversion of a 1929 brick and heavy timber John Deere warehouse to 40 apartments, half of which are 2-storey units. Phase 2 — a new 36-unit building with steel stud bearing walls joins the two older structures. dub architects

Originally built in 1929 as the John Deere Warehouse, this striking brick and beam landmark has been reimagined by DUB Architects into one of the city's most coveted addresses for artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and urban explorers. Units feature soaring 13-foot fir-beam ceilings, original cedar wood ceilings, exposed brick walls, maple hardwood floors, and large west-facing windows. The National Trust for Canada recognized this conversion for its sensitive preservation of the warehouse's industrial scale and character.

The MacCosham Loft building has been a fixture in downtown Edmonton since the 1920s. Located in what was once the warehouse district, these authentic industrial-style lofts are situated within walking distance to Rogers Place and the Ice District. 

Converted into warehouse lofts by DUB Architects in 2000, Maccosham Lofts is a standout example of adaptive reuse done right. The building retains many of its original industrial elements. While the original brick facade was altered decades earlier, the conversion respected the building's industrial roots. 

It is now a mixed-use development of underground parking, shops, a computer training school, and two floors of loft housing above. The central sky-lit atrium allows for light to penetrate into the core of this large square plan. dub architects

The standout features are the historic vibe with massive fir posts and beams throughout, exposed brick walls, the industrial style elevator, high ceilings constructed with 2x10 on-edge timbers, and all the industrial style exposed pipes and ductwork throughout. Units in this building almost never come to market — it is among Edmonton's most tightly held historic loft addresses.

The Hecla Block represents Edmonton's first generation of apartment buildings, noted for not having ground floor commercial space. Located on what was the edge of the city in the Boyle community, it was built for Edmonton's blue-collar, working class, and served a growing demand for residential accommodation during the pre-World War One construction boom. 

Icelandic-born John Johnson was the builder and owner. He named it after Mount Hecla, Iceland's largest and most celebrated volcano. Built in 1914 and designed by architects David Hardie and John Maitland, the Hecla Block has served exclusively as a residence over the decades.

The building initially had seven one-bedroom suites per floor, common water closets and baths on each level, a basement, and a skylight over the stairwell. Hard times fell, and in 1924, Molson's Bank foreclosed on the building. It subsequently changed hands many times until the Edmonton Board of Health declared it unfit for habitation in the 1990s. Then a fire virtually gutted the interior. "It was a burnt-out hulk, really terrible," said Frank Bowen, a commercial real estate appraiser who restored the building. "Just the four walls remained." The re-construction involved a new roof, new windows, new interiors, and more. The fully restored 14-suite condominium opened in 2002. Its features include units of varying sizes with open brick exterior walls, hardwood floors, and a lot of light coming in from the large windows. Most of the units are designed as loft spaces with only the bathrooms enclosed.

The Hecla Block's Edwardian-era architecture is expressed in its prominent corner location, wire-cut red brick (rare where pressed brick was the norm), cast stone sills and decorative accents, arched cast stone building name pediments on the two corner facades, and a continuous pressed-metal upper cornice. Architect John Martland went on to become the City Architect of Edmonton in 1919.