The Joseph Shepard Building is located in the urban core of the North York region of Toronto. The fourteen-storey, modern office complex is pyramidal in form with stepped massing and an asymmetrical plan. The building's walls are clad in rust-red and brown clay brick and have continuous bands of windows and brick spandrels that create a strong horizontal emphasis. Prominent features of its design are its five-storey atrium, many open-air terraces, public courtyard and accessible mall. A strong architectural vocabulary unifies the interior and exterior. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.