Allan Gardens Conservatory

As one of the oldest designed landscapes in Toronto, Allan Gardens remains one of the most significant horticultural assets of the City of Toronto and is among the many botanical experiences in within the city.

Lord Cultural Resources was commissioned by the City of Toronto to develop a Best Uses and Operating Model Study for Allan Gardens Conservatory.

The requirement for the first part of the Best Uses and Operating Model Study was the development of a functional program.  Employing best practices and informed by comparables, existing functions and uses of the current conservatory, City staff and subject matter experts, Lord created and delivered the functional program that identified the spaces and space adjacencies required for an addition to the existing Conservatory. This program is intended to provide the ground work for the Architectural Visualization Study being designed by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects. 

The second part of the study was the development of an Operating Model that sets out parameters to help guide the operations and management of Allan Gardens Conservatory. Additionally, the model will help to inform a future management agreement between the City of Toronto and the Friends of Allan Gardens (FOAG) who will share responsibilities to operate and manage the Conservatory within a Collaborative Governance Structure.