Often viewed as a relatively bland formality within the process of constructing a condominium, groundbreaking ceremonies are largely uneventful, albeit necessary, events. Marked by the presence of a who's who of those parties involved posing with shovels atop piles of dirt, they serve to mark the success of the project thus far. In an interesting spin, Studio and Studio2 on Richmond managed to shake their groundbreaking up a bit by incorporating the project's artistic qualities in a unique fashion.

(L-R) Jason Attard, Lisa Deanne Smith, Andrew DeGasperis, Christene DeGasperis and Darius Ryback

Shovels were replaced with paint containers, and representatives from Aspen Ridge Homes and OCADU had the chance to leave their artistic mark on a canvas suspended between a pile of dirt and a backhoe. The canvas has been sent back to OCADU, where students will complete the piece before it is hung in the amenity space of the building upon completion.

Studio on Richmond lobby, image courtesy of Aspen Ridge Homes.

Studio and Studio2 opened to much fanfare, in part due to the developer's inclusion of Toronto's expanding OCADU — a public art gallery space of 8,000 square feet has been made available to the university, as well as room for a restaurant. Combined, the buildings will contain 762 units spread between 31 and 41 storeys, and feature a variety of unique private amenities.

Studio on Richmond, image courtesy of Aspen Ridge Homes.

Studio and Studio2 have been designed by Quadrangle Architects, and will feature interiors by Mike Niven Design. With construction now underway, the project should be completed by 2014. For more information, check out the dataBase listing below, or join the discussion on the associated Forum thread.