In Conversation With : Gina Di Lorenzo-Burry & Samuel Wong

The hallmark of a Diamante Development building is superior quality, unique living spaces and extraordinary value

By Gale BeebyDiamate Development Corporation is well known for building innovatively designed condominiums with more than a touch of luxury.It’s part of the focus of the founding partners, Julie Di Lorenzo and Paolo Palamara. The Diamante hallmark has always been superior building quality, unique living spaces and extraordinary value.Diamante is a full-service company, overseeing all aspects of a development including planning, development, marketing and advertising, sales, construction and extraordinary after-sales service. The company holds an excellent rating from the Tarion Warranty Corporation and is the three-time winner of the coveted Project of the Year from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), an unprecedented three years in a row.But creating memorable addresses and excellent investment opportunities is just part of the Diamante story, says Gina Di Lorenzo-Burry, who along with Samuel Wong, is heading up the sales at Mirabella, Diamante’s latest project, located on the shore of Lake Ontario at Windermere Avenue. Here, owners will never have to worry about anything obstructing their views. Diamante is using the building’s location to create amenity spaces that take advantage of the amazing views.Diamante is also a very benevolent corporation and believes in giving back to the community and is a vigorous supporter of local charities.It’s part of the Diamante difference.Q: Could you tell me a little about the history of Diamante? A: Di Lorenzo-Burry: For over three decades under the Diamante brand, we have earned an international reputation for constructing, designing and developing projects of superior quality and aesthetic excellence. Diamante has developed over 5,000 residential units in Canada, the United States and Taiwan in landmark projects including One Balmoral Avenue, Two Roxborough East, Phoebe on Queen, Domus in Yorkville, One City Hall, The Royalton and The Florian in Yorkville.At a time when the real estate industry was in deep recession in the early 1990s, Diamante boldly moved forward with One Balmoral Avenue. That luxury condominium and townhouse project transformed Toronto’s Yonge Street south of St. Clair Avenue. An elegant building in a French Beaux Arts style, One Balmoral raised the bar for the condominium industry with its style and the care lavished on suite design. Built of the highest quality precast, it looks as timeless as the day it opened.The Florian was our latest constructed project and is certainly one of Toronto’s most sought-after luxury buildings. The most expensive unit sold in Toronto sold last quarter in The Florian. The 25-storey curtain-wall tower offers suites which are spacious and light-filled, some occupying entire floors; the amenities include 24-hour concierge and valet service, a rooftop garden facing Yorkville, a fitness centre and indoor pool, rooms for entertaining and socializing and an exclusive wine cellar and wine tasting room. Clad in museum-quality brick from Ohio and Pilkington windows made right here in Canada, the building by David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini is the definition of landmark architecture. Designed with substance and grace and crafted by Diamante, where building matters.Q: What separates Diamante from other builders? A: Di Lorenzo-Burry: Diamante provides unparalleled value to clients, and Mirabella is no exception to that. Constant research and review has been conducted on every aspect of our projects to ensure the best homeowner experience.Our attention to detail and quality is exemplary, leading to outstanding living spaces. Diamante seeks out extraordinary locations before others see the value. One Balmoral brought elegance and substance to a section of Yonge that was underestimated and subsequently helped increase the values on Farnham and Balmoral west of Yonge. Diamante also focuses on respecting the neighbourhoods that we develop in and their history. Phoebe on Queen includes architectural elements from the historical brick styles of the neighbourhood, while also paying homage to the area, such as through the rare half-ac re internal private park at Beverley and Queen. In addition, in our new projects we put together the most prestigious architectural teams. Mirabella is a collaboration of Scott Shields and David Winterton. The Cardinal is a collaboration of Douglas Cardinal and Scott Shields. We were one of the first development companies to team up talent for b est design outcomes and excellence.Q: Tell me about Mirabella. It’s east of the tract of condos that line Etobicoke’s lakeshore. How was the land acquired and what was the vision? A: Samuel Wong: Our vision was to create a building that differentiated itself from the competition and, just like all other Diamante buildings, became a high quality standard in Toronto. For Mirabella, we wanted a design that was timeless and enduring, rich in texture and not faddish or transparent, and environmentally conscious. Architecturally, the podium that encloses the above-grade parking levels takes cues from the legacy of waterfront exhibition architecture, while the paired buildings also refer to this period’s architecture, but employ finer-grained residential details and scale.The message we wanted to convey was that the site is rare. There are few, if any, unobstructed waterfront sites available and we wanted a timeless and exceptional internationally recognized style, expressing luxury and permanence. We designed the buildings so that most suites experience the “wondrous beauty” of the natural landscape. All the amenities starting on the 10th floor have stunning views of the lake and park. Suites do not start until the 11th floor, which makes this exceptionally exclusive. It echoes the grandeur of the fine buildings on Central Park and is a gateway from west and east to extraordinary amenities at the largest park in Toronto and one of our best stretches of waterfront.Spacious and elegant in design, Mirabella offers one-, two- and three-bedroom suites. Most suites provide residents with awe-inspiring views of the lake and park from their loggia or balcony, and the amenities are all placed to enjoy the stunning views. Like in all our projects, we worked hard to ensure maximum live ability within the suite designs. We have outstanding layouts for maximum value and quality of life.Mirabella provides an array of social, wellness and recreational amenities such as a pool, a fully-furnished party room, a professionally equipped fitness centre and a landscaped outdoor terrace. Most amenities have full views of the lake.Located at Lake Shore and Windermere, Mirabella provides nearby access to many of the area’s top recreational and lifestyle amenities and locations. At Mirabella, you’re just 10 minutes from Bay Street, yet a world away from the congestion of downtown Toronto. Here you can enjoy an oasis of nature-inspired amenities: jog the Martin Goodman Trail, bike through High Park, stroll along the Sunnyside Boardwalk, picnic on the beach or simply watch the sunset over the lake from the comfort of your living room or the library.With popular neighbourhoods such as Roncesvalles and Bloor West Village nearby, homeowners have access to an exceptional variety of shops, food stores and restaurants, from local bakers and cheese shops to traditional coffee shops and clothiers. You are also 12 minutes from Pearson airport and there is a TTC bus stop at your front door.Q: What is Mirabella’s biggest appeal? A: Samuel Wong: While there are other new condo projects that provide residents with waterfront views, Mirabella, which is nestled in between Lake Ontario and High Park, stands out from the competition by providing its suites and amenities with luxurious irreplaceable views. There is no development site available that will block our south waterfront views. The park views are also clear as buildings are already constructed on the north. We are different because the architecture is classic, the views irreplaceable. The lake at this part of Toronto is its most beautiful with endless clear blue vistas. In addition, we have various convenient access points to move easily west, east and north to get to your destination and return home to your retreat at Mirabella.Q: Diamante is known for giving back to the community. How does that philanthropic philosophy make it’s way into your corporate culture? A: Di Lorenzo-Burry: Diamante believes in giving back to the community and is a vigorous supporter of local charities including The Good Shepherd Refuge, The Bruce Trail Conservancy, The Salvation Army, The Nature Conservancy, Pelee Island Reserve, The Stephen Lewis Foundation, Second Harvest and various other charities. In addition, we have had prior experience working with the government to develop two turnkey award-winning, non-profit housing developments. We offer a mentoring environment for students in the summer and cultivate talent in our industry.PortfolioMirabella, TorontoThe Diamond, North YorkDiamanteDevelopment.com