PROJECT
VMC
Architecture & INTERIOR photography / Diamond schmitt architects
Diamond Schmitt is a global architecture firm with studios in Toronto, Vancouver, and New York, designing projects across North America and internationally. Their work contributes to the built environment throughout Toronto, Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, with a focus on sustainability, performance, and long-term impact.
Diamond Schmitt Architects, in collaboration with SmartCentres, commissioned me to document the early stages of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC). This architecture & interior photography project focused on capturing both the built form and the way the space is experienced as it begins to activate.
The production was divided into two distinct shoots. The first focused on documenting the architectural elements and completed spaces for use in real estate and marketing materials, while the second captured the interaction between people and the space during a public event, highlighting how the development functions as part of a growing urban environment.
Creative Direction
Photography
Retouching
2 Day Photoshoot
Social Media Marketing, Website Enhancement, Email Marketing Campaigns, Online Advertising, Public Relations
Vaughan, Ontario
The scope of work was structured across two shoot days, each serving a distinct purpose. The first focused on documenting the architectural features and completed spaces within the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, capturing design elements and structural details for use in real estate and marketing materials.
The second shoot shifted toward capturing how the space is used, documenting public interactions and activity during a live event. This approach allowed the final image set to move between detailed architectural perspectives and moments of occupancy, creating a more complete visual record of the development as it begins to function within the city.
"These are great, very dramatic sky! Lots to choose from."
"
- Elizabeth, Art Director
The approach needed to adapt to the evolving nature of the site. During the first shoot, portions of the development were still under construction, requiring careful consideration of angles, framing, and timing to document the architecture while working around incomplete areas.
The VMC is part of a larger master-planned development spanning approximately 27 acres, with plans for over 10,000 residential units alongside office and retail space. While this project focused on a specific portion of the site, understanding that broader context was important in framing the work to reflect its place within a much larger and rapidly developing urban environment.
The second phase shifted into a more responsive approach, working within a live public setting where moments couldn’t be directed. This allowed for a more observational style, capturing how people move through and interact with the space as it begins to take shape, including moments within the building’s commercial interior spaces.
Together, this balance between controlled documentation and real-world activity created a more complete representation of the project, reflecting both its architectural intent and its role within a developing city centre.
The imagery produced has been utilized across real estate marketing, investment presentations, and promotional materials, supporting how the VMC is communicated as it continues to develop.
The KPMG Tower within the VMC was also recognized with an Award of Excellence at the Vaughan Urban Design Awards, with the jury noting its contribution to the public realm. Additional components of the development, including the SmartVMC Bus Terminal, have also received recognition such as the Ontario Wood Design Award, while features like the PXL Gallery contribute to the project’s broader cultural and public presence.
Together, these recognitions reflect the strength of the development as a whole, and the value of documenting projects at an early stage as they begin to take shape within a rapidly evolving urban environment.
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Most architects and interior designers finish a project, post a few images, and move on. This article breaks down why that's a missed opportunity and how to start getting your work in front of Canadian editors, award panels, and the publications your clients actually read.
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