Architects Howard Cohen and Ron Soskolne have lived in many beautiful homes in Toronto over the years. Drawn to uncluttered modernism, their residences have always reflected this amidst various other design loves, such as collecting craft and art objects. They both work in the property development field: Cohen as President of Context Development - pioneers in high quality, design-led condominium development in Toronto - and Soskolne as a real estate development consultant.

Until five years ago, Ron and Howard lived an über downtown life, in a grand two story condominium in District Lofts one of Howard's developments in Toronto's Entertainment District. This buzzy, increasingly twenty and thirtysomething-centric part of town was no longer suiting their needs; amenities were suited to a younger cohort and simply buying groceries required getting the car out.

Context's embarkation upon the Loretto Condominium project, in Toronto's leafy Annex neighbourhood, provided an irresistible opportunity to create a 'forever home' that would blend the comforts of house-living, and the style possibilities of a modern condominium. The Annex is a walkable area full of fascinating period homes, small urban parks and quirky shopping and dining on nearby Bloor Street.

The Loretto occupies the site of the former Loretto College, a private Catholic girls' school. Much of the development occupies the ornate 1914 schoolhouse: a heritage building. Behind this classic facade however, lies a row of three story townhouses. They are built in a quietly modernist, unfussy style and occupy what used to be the school playing fields. The architect for the entire project was Peter Clewes, and Ron and Howard's interior designer was Michael Kruse of Tact Design.

Ron and Howard joke that, as architects, a third architect is "essential" to any design process they embark on "to act as arbitrator" between their sometimes-divergent preferences.

Because Howard was developer on the Loretto project and wanted to accommodate the move-in needs of all the the other buyers, he and Ron were last to occupy their space. For six months, they were in transition and lived six months at Howard's Spire project: another condo project in Toronto's core.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Howard Cohen and Ron Soskolne, architects and property developers
Location: Annex neighborhood of Toronto
Size: 2,700 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a home office
That's interesting: This modern townhouse wraps around a historic black walnut tree with protected status.