World House Interdesign Forum 2007
World House Interdesign Forum 2007
World House Interdesign Forum 2007 Institute Director Luigi Ferrara Editors Gavin Baxter, Dan Nelson and Perin Ruttonsha Designer Justin Aitcheson Documentation Team Kar Yan Cheung, Jennifer Lee, Richard Macintosh, Gary Moloney ISBN 978-0-9809125-3-1 Printed in Canada Copyright Š 2008 George Brown College No part of this work may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher–except for a brief quotation (not exeed 200 words) in a review or professional work. For information on other Institute without Boundaries or School of Design publications or to place an order please contact: George Brown College 200 King Street East Room 313A Toronto, ON M5T 2T9 Tel: 416.415.5000 x2137 Visit our website for more information about the Institute without Boundaries: www.worldhouse.ca www.institutewithoutboundaries.com E-mail: info@worldhouse.ca
Sponsors Lead Sponsors
Charrette Sponsors
World House Interdesign Forum 2007
Acknowledgements The Institute acknowledges the contributions of the following team members toward making the World House Interdesign 2007 a successful event: Director Luigi Ferrara Project Management Gavin Baxter, Silvio Ciarlandini, Alice Lee, Perin Ruttonsha Project Leads Reema Kanwar, Jennifer Lee, Carmen Paz Rivera, Giorgiana Penon Logistics and Administration Chalo Barrueta, Mark Kennedy, Elise Hodson Public Relations David Granstien, Paul Zanettos Graphic Design and Photography Justin Aitcheson, Gertrude Wong
Videography Kenneth Clarke, Nick Goso, Luciano Pommella, Dave Taylor Technical Support Kar Yan Cheung, Thomas Lommee Volunteer Coordinator Deborah Lau Volunteers Melissa Buckell, Conrad Chen, Christopher Law, Melissa Leithwood, Vincent Luk, Andrew MacKenzie, Jason Mooi, Keith U, Ryan Wong Icsid Representatives Peter Zec, President Carlos Hinrichsen, President Elect Dilki de Silva, Secretary General AndrĂŠa Springer, Communications Manager Neil Griffiths, Membership Services Manager
Table of Contents 10
Forward
14
The World in a Studio
20
Charrettes
Downsview Park: Toronto’s Backyard Mount Dennis: A Company Community Toronto Waterfront: Restore the Shore Port Perry: Urban Docks
178
Common Themes
186
Moving Forward
192
Appendicies
Forward The premise of the World House Project is to address the need for smarter shelter around the world. The vision for this initiative was inspired by the research of the Institute’s Massive Change project, which revealed a large number of groups worldwide that continue to work collaboratively to improve quality of life, increase social justice and offer a better future through design. We realized early on that, in a world where challenges and impacts occur across boundaries, appropriate solutions could only come from collaboration. We knew that the World House project would extend beyond the scope of our inter-professional, interdisciplinary team at George Brown College. Students, academics, designers, industry partners and communities, locally and globally, would continue to assist us. We knew instinctively that the World House Project could only blossom and succeed if the desire to find effective solutions for collective issues was shared. As Director of the Institute and past president of ICSID, I knew that an exciting model for international cooperation in design existed in the ICSID Interdesign concept that adopting and expanding on this model would create an opportunity for exchange that would enrich students’ and designers’ careers while propeling ongoing interaction to further the World House Project objectives.
Between June 24-30th of 2007, the Institute put into practice the principles of the World House Project, gathering people from around the world to assist each other in solving local problems that affect communities everywhere. During this week, we reflected on Martin Luther King’s Nobel Peace Prize address where he called out to build a world home as a place for all, that is unfettered by racism, poverty, inequity of income and environmental degradation and that is inclusive, just, balanced and sustaining. The results of the Interdesign week are included in this book and captured in the video that accompanies it on our website. The ripples of the event have already begun as the Institute renews its efforts to pioneer an online Interdesign in 2008, which will look at the needs of rural communities in Costa Rica. For the faculty and students of the Institute and the World House Interdesign participants, a strong foundation for this future home we are imagining has been laid.
Luigi Ferrara Director Institute without Boundaries
Interdesign Statistics
Days: 7 Charrettes: 4 Countries Represented: 11 Partner Representatives: 15 Community Representatives: 8 Icsid Representatives: 5 Local Advisors: 22 Special Guests: 8 Delegates: 31 Volunteers: 10 IwB Students: 15 IwB Staff & Faculty: 13 Performers & Artists: 14 Total # of Conference Participants:
152
The World in a Studio
“ Icsid stands for a global solidarity for achieving a better life in societies [through] design.� ~Peter Zec President, International Council of Industrial Designers1
Since 1971, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) has, with various hosts, organized Interdesign, an annual event that brings together designers from all over the world to explore and help solve problems of regional and international significance. Resulting designs are innovative, appropriate and, most importantly, achievable. Over the years, participants have produced design concepts for transportation in South Africa, playgrounds in Germany, rural health centres for developing countries and the wine industry in Chile.
1 World House Interdesign 2007, Closing Ceremonies, June 29, 2007 The World in a Studio
17
This year’s Inderdesign was coordinated by the Institute without Boundaries at George Brown College, in Toronto, Canada, from June 24-30, 2007. One hundred and fifty-two participants from eleven countries gathered for seven days to investigate four charrette challenges (design workshops) that focused on community development in Southern Ontario: Downsview Park, where participants explored how a military base could evolve into an urban park with a mandate for sustainability and community leisure; The Toronto Waterfront, where delegates investigated how a water feature could transform an unused parking lot into a dramatic water feature that educates people about the urban water cycle while also filtering stormwater and grey-water; The town of Port Perry, where delegates studied a gateway development space bordering a natural wetland; The Mount Dennis neighbourhood, where participants worked with residents to re-imagine the main streetscape in a neglected Toronto community.
Each challenge was addressed by the teams using the Institute without Boundaries’ World House Matrix, a framework designed by the Institute for generating holistic design solutions. (More information on the Matrix can be found in Appendix A) By applying this framework within a variety of contexts the Institute, like Icsid, seeks to leverage the capacity of design collaboration to create positive results for the future. Together, people have the talent and expertise to realize ideas that can be overwhelming to tackle independently. The Institute without Boundaries at George Brown College is organized around the belief that learning comes best when a community shares an ambitious challenge and is willing to collaborate to find the knowledge, creativity and innovation required to solve it. Like the Institute, Interdesign events seek to leverage the capacity of design collaboration to create positive results for the future. Together, people have the talent and expertise to realize ideas that can be overwhelming to tackle independently. What follows in this publication is the product of this coming together for change.
The World in a Studio
19
Charrettes 20 60 94 120
Downsview Park Mount Dennis Toronto Waterfront Port Perry
Downsview Park: Toronto’s Backyard
Downsview Park Charrette Team
Project Partners Tony Genco President Parc Downsview Park David Anselmi VP Park Development Parc Downsview Park Project Leads IwB Student: Perin Ruttonsha Toronto, Canada IwB Faculty: Dianne Croteau Studio Innova Toronto, Canada
Facilitator: Henry Cheung Multi-disciplinary Designer Toronto, Canada
Eloise Cataudella Toronto, Canada
IwB Students
Lev Katznelson Montreal, Canada
Gary Moloney Toronto, Canada Heidi Nelson Portland, USA Evelyne Au-Navioz Toronto, Canada Project Delegates Nate Archer Toronto, Canada Chelsea Boos Montreal, Canada
Etienne Jongen Montreal, Canada
Teresa Miller Toronto, Canada Daniel Ritter Jonkoping, Sweden Zeev Zohar Jerusalem, Israel Local Advisors Richard Brault Studio Innova Toronto, Canada
Dean Goodman Levitt Goodman Architects Toronto, Canada Karin Lynett, Retired Principal, Toronto Board of Education Jim Marotta Europtimum Toronto, Canada Barbara Vogel Vogel Architects Toronto, Canada Jacek Vogel Vogel Architects Toronto, Canada
Downsview Park is positioned near the northern boundary of the Toronto metropolitan area. It is easily accessible by subway for downtown residents or by highway for suburban neighbours. The property includes rolling meadows that house plant, bird and animal life, as well as expansive indoor spaces often used for special events, all managed by Parc Downsview Park Inc (PDP), a federal Crown corporation.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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The opportunities for this land are numerous and varied; however, the greatest challenge for the Park is not deciding what to do with the space, but how to evolve out of its military base identity to become a place that is enjoyed and cared for by residents of the City of Toronto. The charrette team approached the design challenge with this in mind. They considered how the Park could transform itself temporarily to accommodate different groups and events without destroying the local ecology or over-taxing regional infrastructure; emphasizing user interaction within the Park’s many spaces. The Institute and Downsview Park are continuing to experiment with this notion with the Canadian Global Development Village a four day youth education initiative that will require set up of provisional services such as water, energy, food and internet.
Design Opportunity Over 644 acres of grassland re‑tasked from a military base to an urban leisure space that will model sustainable living and recreation options, shaped over time by its users.
Charrette Challenge To help Downsview Park manifest its identity as Canada’s National urban park and achieve its mandate of sustainability, the Park requires design of physical structures, landscape features and support amenities for community programs that complement the existing master plan design. Specifically, the team focused on the Carl Hall Road entrance to the Park and the circuit path that crosses through the master plan’s three zones: the Action Zone, the Promenade and the Cultivation campus.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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About the Site Downsview Park is reinventing its identity. Once the home of Canadian Forces Base Toronto, PDP is transforming the space into a vibrant cultural attraction. The new design is intended to reflect the social and natural history of the place, allow for mixed public use and operate as a prototype sustainable community. The site’s industrial history began in the late 19th century and it remained active as a military base and aircraft manufacturing plant throughout the 20th century. In 1994, in light of revised military and economic priorities, the federal government decommissioned the base, allocating the 644 acres of grassland, with 1.8 million square feet of indoor space, as a public amenity for recreational, cultural and commercial uses. The Canadian Forces officially transferred the property to the Canada Lands Company in 1995. In 1998, crown corporation Parc Downsview Park Inc. was formed to manage the park. To help realize their new identity as Canada’s National Urban Park, PDP held an international design competition. The winning design team and concept, TREE CITY, was announced in 2001, which included three park zones: Action Zone- Interconnected Play, Promenade – The Serene Experience and Cultivation Campus – Engaging the Earth. In the past ten years, PDP has been revitalizing the site with tree plantings and pathways. They have also outlined a set of Sustainable Community Development Guidelines as well as a Sustainable Community Development Plan, with recommendations from sustainability experts, to direct the scope and focus of the project. Neighbouring resident groups are excited to hear more about the proposed implementation plans and many hope to take part in its execution.
“ The objective of the design competition was to promote innovative design proposals that would respond to the social and natural histories of the site, while developing its potential as a new landscape – one capable of sustaining new ecologies and an evolving array of public n. uses and events, including ones of national and international distinctio The design was intended to structure the transformation of the site while remaining open to change and growth over time.”
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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During this time of transformation, the Park is hosting organizations such as the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the Downsview Park Film and Television Studios, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Toronto Wildlife Centre, as well as an indoor sports complex, seasonal festivals, concerts and school programs. The Department of National Defense still retains ownership of a few buildings. The Downsview Airport is also located on the property and Bombardier Aerospace maintains an aircraft manufacturing facility within the Park. Downsview Park is located in a highly traveled corridor at the north end of Toronto, close to the Downsview and Wilson subway stations. It is said to attract more than 900,000 visitors annually.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Approach In this charrette, the team was fortunate to work with one member from the design team that conceptualized Downsview Park’s current master plan. As such, they were well guided by a long heritage of design research and strategy. The intention of this charrette was to complement the existing master plan by detailing specific forms, uses and user experiences for its three proposed zones. Most importantly, the team tried to select the most appropriate first steps that would allow the Park to be active and well used throughout the fifteen year development of these zones. This proposal tries to address how, with simple and quick installations, the Park can host the public today. The team centered their ideas around one goal: to encourage community life in Downsview Park or, rather, to inspire Toronto to use Downsview as its national urban park. Even with a comprehensive master plan to work from, narrowing in on a few simple concepts proved challenging. The team started from a vision to provide a wilderness escape within an urban context for families and children that could not access this kind of experience otherwise. This concept was imagined in the form of a temporary, educational summer camp that would be designed as a model eco-village to match Downsview’s mandate for sustainability, and that would be erected and redeveloped by its inhabitants each year. This idea progressed to include small educational stations, built by the campers and positioned along Carl Hall Road and the circuit path that would lead visitors throughout the Park’s three zones. Ultimately these concepts expanded to encompass signage, an entrance and a way-finding system that would help to crystalize the Park’s new identity.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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For example, the Park boasts many natural and man-made assets. Its open fields are ideal for both winter and summer activities such as walking, biking, cross-country skiing, relaxing and socializing. Its grasslands are also home to many varieties of flora and fauna that can be enjoyed by families and school groups. Its vast and empty indoor spaces can also be transformed, ad hoc, to accommodate special events. Although the Park has been open to the public for over a decade, the Toronto community still may not recognize it as a space that they can use for leisure. When discussing how the community would use and experience the space, the question arose – what is an urban park? Although the answer to this must be inherent to the Park’s new design, it is also premature to define this exclusively without involvement from its urban users. This understanding underlined a key principle for the team’s design work. The team determined that, when developing the Park, it is important to balance components that are engineered and constructed with elements that are catalyzed or evolve organically. This principle follows from the Downsview Park and TREE CITY mandate for a design that can grow and change over time. It was also reinforced by guest critic, architect Dean Goodman, from Levitt Goodman Architects, who suggested that in the making of a park, time is the lead architect. The team also discussed the difference between nature and naturalized construction.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
1) The team began by establishing a list of questions for the Downsview site visit, which was hosted by Downsview Park’s President, Tony Genco and Vice President of Parks Development, David Anselmi.
2) Following the site visit, the team discussed their impressions of the Park.
Strengths
shelter and shade from trees;
remaining historical legacy of built structures;
Questions - Who uses the park now? - Why did they choose the TREE CITY plan? - Who organizes the public programming? - Does the public have free access and at all hours? - Who is responsible for maintenance? - Does the Park represent a national or local constituency?
;
wildlife; and a vast landscape
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Weaknesses signage; entrances; conflicting identities
Threats details of development could distill the long-term vision
3) The team discussed the TREE CITY masterplan with designer Henry Cheung.
Friday Team presentations
Opportunities
camp for adults aviation / mobility theme
can see the sky from Tree City’s proposed mound
Key Concepts - Spirit of innovation and the future of cities - Make territories - Light construction – build like a kite - An urban park is different than a nature park - Two-way experience and learning through participation - Reflection - Cycles of nature - Build/Grow/Dream
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
4) The team divided into three groups to generate ideas.
Path
Tower
Community Construction
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
5) The team regrouped to establish a focus.
6) The team divided into two groups to develop concepts.
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Park Structures - Wi-fi benches that light up - Elevated greeting pavilion with water feature, carts and cart charging station - Interactive map at entrance - Discovery zones
Park Experience - Neutral identity - Develops like a neighbourhood - Cozy charm - Wildlife - Share the vision and show progress - Watch planes land - Reflect seasons - Look to the future - Panoramic photos
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
7) The team decided to centre the remainder of the charrette on three items: a hub, a service cart and signage.
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
A Hub
A Service Cart
Signage
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Signage - Renovate your backyard - Come meet your neighbours - Let’s renovate together - Come watch us grow
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Plan
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
8) The team made their final presentations.
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Design Results The regeneration of Downsview Park presents a tremendous opportunity for community revitalization, economic development, job creation and improved quality of life for local residents, if transformed into a clean, green and safe urban space. But converting a place that was once barricaded by fence to one that encourages free exploration is a task more complicated than reconstruction and renovation. The large hanger buildings at the north end of the Park are industrially quaint, but provide little indication that visitors are welcome inside. The meadow is also barred from view on a couple of sides by a small grassy slope.
Overall the Downsview team identified a need for Downsview Park to expand and develop its strategies around branding, community engagement, spatial design and infrastructure design. This can be summarized as follows: Branding 1. Clarify the Park’s long-term goals 2. Articulate this vision first to the local neighbourhood, then to the greater Toronto area and finally, throughout the province of Ontario using a variety of campaign media such as transit advertising, radio advertising and website material 3. Articulate the evolutionary development of the site to the local neighbourhood using a variety of communication channels such as email blasts, online bulletins and community meetings Community Engagement 1. Involve community, school and camp groups in executing the vision by, for example, making park signage, planting herb gardens or maintaining trails. 2. Encourage long-term involvement in caretaking for the Park 3. Connect the work of community, NGO and education groups, for example, in a Community Centre for Innovation Spatial Design 1. Transform the space to match the Park’s brand image using, for example, landmark sculptures and entrance features. 2. Entice visitors into to the Park with a dramatic entrance along Carl Hall Road and a pedestrian path from the subway Infrastructure Design 1. Provide service amenities that will support visitor activities in the park, such as water and energy. Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Design Results Following the mandate to balance the natural with the constructed, the proposal calls for a dramatic intervention at the Park’s entrance, but minimal impact in the Park’s internal spaces. Overall, the team’s approach to this charrette challenge can be summarized with the following key concepts:
1. Communicate the Vision Shape Downsview’s identity using graphic and landscape design features that will involve residents with the Park’s long-term plans.
2. Make Community Life Possible Create spaces that set a stage for community life, where visiting groups can gather before embarking on their day of activities in the Park. Provide simple amenities to support these activities.
3. Evolve with the Residents Facilitate adaptation and customization of the Park’s spaces based on the interests of its users.
Communicate the Vision Shape Downsview’s new identity using (a) transit signage, (b) a lit promenade entrance and (c) an iconic sculpture that is visible from four roads. From this, the Downsview team proposed three design concepts for the Park that help address these strategies identified.
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1. Communicate the Vision: (a) Transit Advertisements for Toronto’s Backyard A public relations and communication strategy should be designed to encourage community involvement and support for the long-term success of the Park’s growth and development. Downsview Park can adopt many simple strategies to connect with local and regional audiences. A preliminary communication strategy for the Park could include interior and exterior media that build awareness of and interest in the Park and its long-term vision. Internal way-finding graphics, online maps and a webcam, would help visitors understand activity options within the Park, and therefore increase frequency of use. The Wilson and Downsview subway stations present an ideal opportunity to reach the local constituency. The stations are located within reasonable distance from the Park and likely receive daily traffic from nearby residents. A transit advertising campaign could be rotated and timed strategically to generate anticipation about the Park’s development phases. Alternatively, the campaign could promote use of the Park’s present amenities, such as the sports complex, the market and the meadow. In the example provided, a simple slogan ‘Have you seen Toronto’s backyard’, is intended to peak curiosity and signal that the Park is ready for visitors today. Labeling the Park as ‘Toronto’s Backyard’ denotes it as a place that is there for the pleasure and benefit of all people, from all walks of life.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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1. Communicate the Vision: (b) A Promenade that Catches Attention Downsview would be easy to pass without notice, by car or by foot, since a small, grassy slope blocks view of the Park from the road along most of its edges. In order to offset this fact, lanterns and banners could be used to form an elegant but dramatic line along Keele Street, Sheppard Street and Carl Hall Road. In this design proposal, a light promenade would lead both drivers and pedestrians through the Park’s west entrance. A staircase from Keele Street would offer an additional pedestrian shortcut into the Park. Both the lanterns and the banners would be supported by the same aluminum frame. This design could also be scaled and converted to form other pieces of furniture, such as waste baskets. The lanterns would be powered by the sun.
3-D
TOP VIEW 45 in.
18 ft
FINISHES
27 in. FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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1. Communicate the Vision: (c) A beacon in the Fog The concept for this sculpture was inspired by the TREE CITY mound, which is proposed as a high point from which one will be able to see the entire city. Standing at the centre of the market plaza discussed below, this sculpture would be the tallest feature in the park, and would be visible from adjoining streets -– Keele, Sheppard, Wilson and Allen Road. The sculpture would attract pedestrians and drivers into the Park’s main space, and would become a common and well-known place for meeting. It would also include a lookout balcony where guests could peer across the city or watch the sunset. The sculpture could be an icon for both the Park and the city of Toronto.
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Make Community Life Possible (a) Build a market plaza that sets the stage for community life, where visiting groups can collect before embarking on a day of activities in the Park. (b) Provide service carts that can support large or small events within the Park with a supply of energy, water, shade, foldout tables, chairs and garbage bags.
2. Make Community Life Possible: (a) A Market Plaza The addition of a landmark space could transform the Park from being a hidden treasure to becoming a destination point. The plaza will indicate to visitors that the Park and its amenities are meant to be enjoyed, and will offer both clues and instructions on how to do this, with, for example a way-finding system and an information booth. The plaza would be a focal point within the Park, drawing visitors in with the light promenade, as well as the sculptural landmark that is visible from the Park’s four sides. A colour coded way-finding system would begin in the plaza and spin out like a pinwheel. Within a visitor centre within the sculptural structure would provide information on Park activities, its history and the development plans, and would also coordinate rentals of the mobile service carts discussed below. Eventually, the plaza could also host restaurant patios, hot air balloon rides, a dog park and a daycare for Bombardier employees.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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2. Make Community Life Possible: (b) An Amenities Cart that Takes Life to the Meadow By adding small features to improve visitor comfort Downsview can visitors’ experience. The Amenities Carts would introduce a touch of comfort to visitors’ day in the meadow. The proposed discovery carts could be rented at the plaza and would contain services and structures such as energy and water for a day, a foldout table, garbage bags, chairs, a shade umbrella, maps, educational kits, blankets and biodegradable dish soap. The system could be used by a single family as an independent unit, or it could combine to support group events such as school trips, a weekend market or an outdoor cinema. In general, the system would multiply the Park’s possible functions and the number of groups that it could engage. • Rechargeable ‘green’ batteries • Plug in capability for electric appliances • 10 liters water tank • Garbage bags, empty at the charging station • Loading area on top of the water tank • Big wheel for all terrain ability • Adjustable umbrellas in height and direction • Built in color light • Roll up table top
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Evolve with the Residents Rather than designing fixed places within the Park, let visitors determine how they wish to use the space with the aid of the mobile carts.
3. Evolve with the Residents: Discovery Carts The Amenities Carts have been designed as portable units, rather than static stations, in support of the team’s mandate to inspire evolution of the Park over time based on the usage patterns of visitors. The carts would be easy to maneuver through the Park, even on difficult terrain, and could be set up anywhere.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Conclusion With its new role as a space intended for community gathering and enjoyment, Downsview Park is an excellent site to experiment with community-guided projects. These could take many shapes, and could be led by a combination of Downsview employees, external consultants and neighbourhood groups. The World House Interdesign charrette was one such example, where an external team of students and professional designers critiqued and contributed to the existing master plan, looking for opportunities for immediate action. In a way, the proposed signage, plaza and discovery cart designs are all mechanisms to support further interaction from the community in the Park’s evolution. In addition to this, to augment existing community tree planting events, the Park may wish to consider enlisting a professional team to lead local residents through the design and creation of simple projects such as gardens, paths and sculptural installations.
Charrettes – Downsview Park
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Mount Dennis: A Community Company
Mount Dennis Team
Project Leads IwB Student: Sarah Tranum, Sinclairville, USA IwB Faculty: Chris Lowry, Green Enterprises Toronto Facilitator: Margie Zeidler, Urban Space Property Group IwB Students Jennifer Lee, Toronto, Canada Thomas LommĂŠe, Bruges, Belgium
Nicolas Demers-Stoddart, Montreal, Canada Project Delegates Sylwia Kunicka, Montreal, Canada Liav Koren, Toronto, Canada John Ryan-Lipp, Toronto, Canada Alessandro Mingola, Milan, Italy Alessandro Isastia, Milan, Italy Local Advisors Ingrid Cryns, Soma Earth
Jean Marie Boutot, Mt. Dennis Community Association David Oleson, Oleson Worland Architects Mark Salerno, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Barbara Vogel, Vogel Architects, Toronto Ontario Jacek Vogel, Vogel Architects, Toronto, Ontario
Community Representatives Frances Nunziata, Toronto City Councillor, Ward 11 Siobhan Delaney, Mt. Dennis Community Lin Cheong, Mt. Dennis Community Denis Calnan, Mt. Dennis community Neemarie Alan, Mt. Dennis Community Michael Campbell, Mt. Dennis Community
“ Persistently low incomes and a widening income gap between the rich and the poor in many communities threaten the social cohesiveness that has marked the success of the city. Some neighbourhoods have experienced increasing levels of gun violence and criminal gang involvement resulting in citywide concerns about community safety. An unequal distribution of services and facilities has left some neighbourhoods less wellequipped to deal with the social challenges they face.”1 ~ Sue Cork
Deputy City Manager
1 Corke, S. “Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy” (City of Toronto Staff Report, October 5, 2005). http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/ sntf/city_sntf_staff_report.pdf. (accessed October 15, 2007) Charrettes – Mount Dennis
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The community of Mount Dennis is identified by the City of Toronto and the United Way of Toronto as one of 13 priority neighbourhoods in need of assistance. Despite this, as the charrette team noted, it has many positive features to work with. Most importantly, the residents are passionate about making change – a key ingredient to building a great neighbourhood. However, passion also requires a framework, which is precisely what this charrette team set out to provide. Specifically, participants sought to investigate how Mount Dennis could be better equipped to deal with its own deindustrialization. What small actions could be implemented that would set in motion a string of positive change? The solution presented here is one of capacity building, and relies on the energy and ambition of the residents to transform factory land into a space for the residents and the community. The programs offered within the space would be critical to the development’s success. Co-operative businesses, rent subsidies and entrepreneurial training would help residents transform their own lives and, in turn, their community.
Design Opportunity A community that is enthusiastic about revitalizing its economy and culture, capitalizing on the Weston Road storefronts, the 52-acre de‑industrialized Kodak factory site, and the natural beauty of the Eglington Flats.
Charrette Challenge Create a plan, business model and vision statement for a community hub that will engage local residents of all generations and cultures. The hub should include business incubator spaces and knowledge support amenities, and should be appropriate for main streets, laneways, alleyways, community parks and other under-utilized public streetscapes.
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About the Site Surrounded by beautiful parkland, Mount Dennis (sometimes also known as Weston) is a small neighbourhood located in what was previously known as the city of York, and now sits in Ward 11 of the City of Toronto. It is located between Jane, Black Creek, and Weston Roads, and the Humber River. Mount Dennis is named after John Dennis, originally a shipbuilder from Philadelphia, who settled here in the early part of the 1800s. The Dennis family owned a boatyard along the Humber River, and operated a sawmill and a wool factory on their property. During this era, Mount Dennis was known for “its brick yards, the Conn Smythe Sand and Gravel pit, and a handful of market gardens that operated on the fertile plain of what is now known as the Eglinton Flats.” 2 In 1914, during World War I, Kodak Canada moved onto a site at Weston Road and Eglinton. As a result, and also because of the nearby stockyards and factories, many workers built their own homes in Mount Dennis before municipal services were in place. Consequently, other “infill” homes were built, along with small, detached homes. The community had, at one time, a lively business strip. However, in the 1960s, Kodak Canada left the Mount Dennis factory, creating a dent in the community’s physical and employment landscape. In the 1970s, redevelopment studies and feasibility studies were conducted to generate interest in revitalizing the space.
2 Toronto Neighbourhoods, Mount Dennis History. Maple Tree Publishing: 1999 www. torontoneighbourhoods.net/regions/york/152. html (accessed June 1, 2007)
Mount Dennis is considered to be one of the 13 priority areas in need of improved community infrastructure.
The Mount Dennis Business Improvement Area (BIA) runs along Weston Road northwards between Eglinton Avenue and Ray Avenue. Now, the area is mostly industrial lands mixed with residential housing and is in desperate need of infrastructure changes. Many citizens in the area recognize the need for change and new life in the community. In general, the neighbourhood’s economic activity has been suffering since Kodak’s departure. The main street, which was once full of character and business, has become worn down and inactive, and is now threatened by the forthcoming arrival of a big-box development. The Mount Dennis neighbourhood is also currently slated for a new recreation centre, a large shopping centre, and a 52-acre housing and retail area.
Charrettes – Mount Dennis
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Design Approach After meeting with several members from a local community group at the Wednesday critique, the direction of this project came alive. The group posed the question of how the ideas could be implemented and what the first steps would be. In response, the charrette team decided to prepare a framework that would provide practical steps for the community to mobilize and take action on the proposal.
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
The Eglinton Flats Park boasts a beautiful pond and wildlife
The United Methodist Church serves as a space for community meetings and events
Friday Team presentations
The future of the former Kodak lands is unclear.
The main commercial strip on Weston road is spotted with vacant storefronts.
The Learning Enrichment Foundation (L.E.F) offers programs such as job training, English language training, childcare and food distribution, serving the Mount Dennis community and beyond.
1) The Mount Dennis charrette began with a tour led by members of the community.
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
WATER: use spring and river-fed flats; captures rainwater; capitalize on connection to the Humber River; uses the park to filter water as an economic opportunity; uses a closed-loop system
FOOD: produce cut flowers and vegetables in a community garden that is owned by the residents; offer a variety of ethnic foods; have an active farmers’ market;
WASTE: produce zero waste; make waste fun (with musical garbage trucks); have a Centre for Creative Waste Reuse that also provides employment and an opportunity for cultural expression; reuse the waste from building demolition (from the Kodak buildings, for example) to embrace the history of the place
2) The team identified strengths and weaknesses of the Mount Dennis Community. These assets were arranged into the three main hubs: Creation Hub, Enterprise Hub, Leisure Hub.
3) The team generated ideas around each of the World House Matrix systems.
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
CONSTRUCTION: have a walking bridge that crosses the tracks; use organic forms; have four season greenhouses; retrofit vacant buildings; use rooftop spaces
AIR: Generate wind power; Harvest air; Capture air from passing trains; have a central filtration lung
ENERGY: produce all or some using solar, wind or waste technologies as an economic opportunity; have white roofs and rooftop gardens; have a Centre for Green Innovation
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
FINANCE; give tax incentives for planting trees to increase property values each year; give financial, technical and training assistance for new businesses; provide jobs to local residents; leverage development with a strong community plan
MOBILITY; use Weston Road to connect; address accessibility for all; respect pedestrian needs; encourage car pooling or car sharing; have a GO train stop to encourage business from commuters; have bike paths with designated stops;
COMMUNICATION; use street front as a patio where residents will mingle; be in constant dialogue with the rest of the city; have an online community board (like I Neighbour); have wayfinding signs;
3) The team generated ideas around each of the World House Matrix systems.
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
SOCIAL; have a community kitchen with a bread oven; have a youth community centre; encourage youth to stay involved; have a central community space and open public space that is cooperatively managed; use business area as a networking centre; have high rate of attendance in schools
SPATIAL; connect residential with business zones with public space; take advantage of the placement of the tracks; be safe for residents to “hang out�
IDENTITY; be friendly; have a sound garden activated by the train; recall the past, present and future with snapshot photography (like the Five Roses building in Montreal); recall farming history; be a gateway to Toronto; be a centre for Green Innovaton and non-traditional education
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Parks Development: Use the Eglinton Flats to attract tourists, businesses and residents from other areas in the GTA
Kodak Development: Transform main building into live/work studio spaces
4) The team subdivided in two groups.
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
• add street-level lookout points between Weston Road and the Park • add a Weston Road gateway • add a train stop and reduce in-park parking • create an educational walking trail • lease the land to create a community garden network • seed pond with fish for market • convert parking lots into market spaces • engage the Learning Enrichment Foundation to offer park ranger and day camp programs • foster seasonal outdoor activities
• Divide surrounding land into small to medium sized lots for: green remediation centre, greenhouses, packaging, distribution, marketing, B.I.A centre, cooperative stores and markets • Introduce profit sharing for residents • Offer training in running a small business
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
5) The team divided into different units to research the details.
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
- Improve pedestrian circulation on the street by using raised intersections, crosswalks and zigzag routes to slow turning vehicles (neckdowns, nubs, bluouts, knuckles, corner bulges, safe crosses, curb extensions) - Estimated cost: $40,000 -$80,000 for four corners3 - Add Mount Dennis neighbourhood signage
6) The team met with several members from the Mount Dennis community to present their concepts and receive feedback. Following this, they narrowed in on the strategy of creating a phased implementation plan.
3 Lessons from Europe: What Germany and Holland Can Teach NYC About Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety. Transportation Alternatives Magazine. Fall 2003, pg 18 http://www.transalt. org/press/magazine/034Fall/18europe.html (accessed June 27,2007)
Design Results The weeklong charrette process led to the development of a phased strategic plan illustrated as a timeline. Supplementary to this is an isometric, layered timeline that shows the physical development over these same five phases. Building from the initiatives already started within the community, the team developed a step-by-step approach emphasizing the partners involved and the connections between each step.
Build Hubs A leisure hub (urban agriculture in the Eglinton Flats that produces vegetables, flowers and herbs), a creative hub (sustainable businesses on the former Kodak land) and a market hub (cooperative markets and private enterprise development on Weston Road)
Build Bridges Using physical connections such as bike paths, and invisible connections such as the flow of ideas and money.
Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast Define the end goal. Start with 100 small initiatives that involve the community and attract attention from big funders. Create a phased process for change.
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Build Hubs During the tour of the Mount Dennis site, several strengths stood out to the team—the resiliency of the residents, their enthusiasm and excitement for the project, the Eglinton Flats and their natural beauty, and the former Kodak lands and its potential for future development. These assets were arranged into three main hubs – the Leisure Hub, the Market Hub and the Creative Hub – that the team began to imagine and sketch. By activating Mount Dennis’ three main assets (Eglinton Flats, Weston Street and the Kodak land) and then working to connect these hubs while encouraging a cross pollination of people, product and ideas, a sustainable economy will be developed. The result will be increased jobs, rising land value, and a tightly knit community, which acts as a model development for other priority communities.
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Build Hubs: Creation Hub The Kodak Lands are a key location for revenue and growth in the Mount Dennis area. Instead of developing big box retail, the land should be redeveloped as a campus for sustainable business, creative and craft production, and local urban agriculture. Early steps involve populating the last vacant Kodak building with remediation facilities that will make the Kodak land useable for agriculture while encouraging green and greening businesses to utilize the space. Live/work studios will be built to provide facilities for the creation of goods to be sold in Weston Street stores, and greenhouses (which will eventually be supplemented with full-fledged urban farming) will provide produce to the surrounding area.
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Build Hubs: Enterprise Hub Weston Street is the retail centre of Mount Dennis and can be revitalized by creating a co-operative store front that enables local producers and merchants to sell their wares, while also acting as a learning place for entrepreneurs wishing to open their own businesses. Weston Street will act as the end output for local production taking place in the Creation Hub as well as a transit space for visitors coming to the park. Green boulevards and a traffic calming bike path and bike rentals will increase pedestrian mobility within Mount Dennis.
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Build Hubs: Leisure Hub As a major destination for the people of Toronto, the Eglinton flats represent a great opportunity not only for useable green and leisure space, but also for encouraging the flow of people from the parks towards Mount Dennis. This flow represents a great economic opportunity to merchants along the Weston strip. Proper signage to and from Mount Dennis, as well as a feature gateway/entrance into the park via Mount Dennis (as opposed to directly from Eglinton Street) are early steps toward activating this hub. Additional steps include communal meeting and communication spaces, additional greening/stewardship projects and community gardens, which will supplement urban farming in the Creation Hub.
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Build Bridges: The need for connections between the hubs was emphasized. From physical connections such as integrated bike paths and a way finding system to intangible connections like the flow of ideas and money, the team envisioned a community where the these hubs are interwoven creating a healthy, sustainable and economically vibrant place to live and work.
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Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast The team wanted to provide a meaningful tool for the community to use as it moves forward with the project. It was decided to create a linear timeline to show the steps within each hub over five chronological phases. Supplementary to this is an isometric layered timeline showing physical development over these same five phases. Building from the initiatives already started within the community, the team developed a step by step approach emphasizing the partners involved and the connections between these steps. As productivity within Mount Dennis increases, opportunities for export will occur. Export can include products (craft, produce, material reuse, etc.) as well as knowledge capital (Mount Dennis as a translatable case study). In effect, Mount Dennis will transition from self-sustaining economy, to destination, to commodity exporter.
Think Big.
Define the end goal. Mt. Dennis, the year 2020. -
The 8:15 am commuter train running between the city and the airport stops at the Mt. Dennis Transportation Centre. People streaming out of the transit hub pause to rent a bike, obtain a car from the local car-share, or walk alongside locals. They head towards dozens of new and established sustainable businesses and industries in Mt. Dennis. Those heading to the former Kodak lands cross over via the transit centre. Hundreds of sustainable jobs have been established on the former Kodak lands, such as a cooperative ethnic food preparation and packaging company, solar greenhouses, the Centre for Creative Reuse of building materials, and the all-green building supply company. The Kodak lands and employees’ building have been converted into a Centre for Green Innovation. Others walk or bike to work along the leafy green boulevard on Weston Road, following the herd of bronze deer that lead the way down the shady path to the Mt. Dennis Urban Farms in the Eglinton flats. Cafes and restaurants serve locally harvested foods, artisanal breads and fair trade organic coffee. The Fresh Start Market specializes in produce, including local cheeses and sausages. Solar panels flash bright in the morning sun on the crest of the Mt. Dennis hill above Eglinton Ave. The breeze ripples the surface of the rainwater-capture tanks that provide gravity-fed irrigation to the vegetable gardens below. People coming to play sports in the nearby parklands arrive by train, TTC, bike, car, and on foot, and spend time in the village where they find a variety of restaurants, street vendors and unique local shops selling local produce and goods.
Towards ... -
The land a sus that c an com
... a resilient community that sustains a creative economy by integrating all aspects of the production and retail processes within its community boundaries.
LE
F
Kodak lands as Creative hubs
Th th an t
Main strip as Market hubs
Parks as Leisure hubs
The park and resp the com an
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Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: Creation Hub The remediation and development of the Kodak lands can be used as a model for sustainable growth in other priority areas, as well as on a larger scale. Production goods from live/work studios and urban agriculture can be processed, packaged, marketed and exported using onsite facilities.
Start Small.
Start today with 100 small initiatives that involve the community and attract the attention of the big funders.
Phase 1 The reclaimed Kodak lands as the engine for a sustainable economy that creates employment and redefines the community’s identity.
POTENTIAL PARTNERS: METRIS CITY OF TORONTO
Main building preservation (heritage designation)
Present Kodak project to the city and to the developer (Metris)
LEARNING ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION (LEF)
Approach independ assessme
Start a weekend farmers’ market ( food, flowers, ...)
Branding the street as Main Street Mt. Dennis The main strip as the vibrant social and retail center of the community.
POTENTIAL PARTNERS: TORONTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING LEF
Reconnect the neighbourhood online by creating a neighbourhood platform
To create a environmen resea
Jump start green initiatives like solar lighting pilot project, white/green roofs, and adding plants in front of the stores through existing tax incentives Establish a signage system
Establish a gateway to the park using a $50,000 grant from Parks and Rec
Elaborate on community gardening
Establish parking signage The parks as a source of food and respiration that reconnect the community to its historical and natural roots.
POTENTIAL PARTNERS: EVERGREEN FOOD SHARE TORONTO PARKS AND RECREATION
Support community initiatives happening in the parks
Put up a billboard
Promote community e sporting events, to pe Mt. Denn
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Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: Enterprise Hub Bike trails and bike share will connect with larger city infrastructure, co-operative and privately owned businesses will become a destination for ethnic/artisan goods produced in the Creation Hub. Green/quieter train technologies will allow for the lower impact integration of an intermodal mobility hub.
o per
Scale Fast.
Set out a phased process for change Phase 2 -
Phase 3 Establish a center for creative reuse
Build live/work studios for local creators
To create a business plan for environmental business and research campus
Approach the province for an independent environmental assessment and remediation
nd farmers’ owers, ...)
Promote community events, beyond porting events, to people outside of Mt. Dennis
Green tenants in the main Kodak building (Center for Social Innovation model)
Attracting green business
Establish a bioremediation center
Establish a bio-remediation program
Develop the weekend farmers market into a cooperative
Establish the Youth Art Center on Main Street / Weston Rd.
Open up the street facade to create a more interesting streetscape as well as strengthen the connection between the Kodak lands and the parks
Convert the abandoned church into a look-out tower/bookshop /cafe
Reconnect the community to the park by enlongating the residential streets with pathways
Establish connections to the rest of the Humber region through pathways
Develop cooperative gardens
Divert parking towards Main Street
Establish waste management in the park and start composting organic waste Build a gazebo for community meetings and seasonal events
Create a Loan Fund / Development cooperation
Develop the cooperative gardens into urban farms
Reconnect the different areas through a rental bike system Place PV panels over parking lots Put up a small amphitheatre as an infrastructure for community events
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Summary: A Story The 8:15 am commuter train running between the city and the airport stops at the Mt. Dennis Transportation Centre. People streaming out of the transit hub pause to rent a bike, obtain a car from the local car-share, or walk alongside locals. They head towards dozens of new and established sustainable businesses and industries in Mt. Dennis. Those heading to the former Kodak lands cross over via the transit centre. Hundreds of sustainable jobs have been established on the former Kodak lands, such as a cooperative ethnic food preparation and packaging company, solar greenhouses, the Centre for Creative Reuse of Building Materials, and the all-green building supply company. The Kodak lands and employees’ building have been converted into a Centre for Green Innovation.
Others walk or bike to work along the leafy green boulevard on Weston Road, following the herd of deer that lead the way down the shady path to the Mt. Dennis Urban Farms in the Eglinton flats. Cafes and restaurants serve locally harvested foods, artisanal breads and fair trade organic coffee. The Fresh Start Market specializes in produce, including local cheeses and sausages. Solar panels flash bright in the morning sun on the crest of the Mt. Dennis hill above Eglinton Ave. The breeze ripples the surface of the rainwater-capture tanks that provide gravity-fed irrigation to the vegetable gardens below. People coming to play sports in the nearby parklands arrive by train, TTC, bike, car, and on foot, and spend time in the village where they find a variety of restaurants, street vendors and unique local shops selling local produce and goods.
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Conclusion Overall, the Charrette team produced a vision for what Mount Dennis can be if the community makes an effort to interconnect current resources and assets in a productive way. For instance, the Eglinton Flats Leisure Hub becomes an urban farm that produces vegetables, flowers and herbs used by the sustainable businesses located in the Creative Hub on the former Kodak lands. These companies create food products that are then sold from a cooperative store in the Market Hub on Weston Road. In the spirit of Jane Jacobs’ vision, this scenario imagines Mount Dennis as an inventive community that replaces imports with its own locally produced goods. For too long, Mount Dennis has been a company community, relying heavily on local industry for employment and to stimulate the local economy. The result is that deindustrialization of the area has left many Mount Dennis residents without work – yet it has not left the community without hope.
Mount Dennis is in a unique position to grow socially, economically, ecologically and culturally. Surrounded on all sides by usable resources such as green spaces, retail and business venues and usable industrial space, Mount Dennis has great potential. By better connecting Mount Dennis to its resources, leveraging incoming traffic, and creating a sustainable production economy, Mount Dennis will become a community company.
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Toronto Waterfront: Restore the Shore
Toronto Waterfront Charrette Team
Project Partners
Project Leads
Cameron Barker, Sustainable Research Analyst, Waterfront Toronto
IwB Student: Giorgiana Penon, Costa Rica
John Campbell, Waterfront Toronto Chris Glacik, Waterfront Toronto Andrew Grey, Waterfront Toronto Marisa Piatelli, Waterfront Toronto Lisa Prime, Director of Sustainability, Waterfront Toronto
IwB Faculty: Daniel Karpinski, OMNIPLAN Architecture Inc. IwB Faculty Advisor: Alice Lee, School of Design, George Brown College Facilitator: Jenny Lemieux, Studio Lab Faculty, George Brown College Facilitator: Marilyn Morin,
Studio Lab Faculty, George Brown College
Steve Massey, Toronto, Canada
IwB Students
Local Advisors
Kar Yan Cheung, Penticton, Canada
Renee Daoust, Daoust Lestage Inc.
Garth Tweedie, Toronto, Canada
Andrew Davies, Nine
Reema Kanwar, Toronto, Canada
Matt Davis, Precipice Studios Inc.
Project Delegates
Christa Lenko, Industrial Designer
Annie Bouvrette, Montreal, Canada Hannah Hyder, Toronto, Canada Pierre Maltais, Toronto, Canada
Community Representatives St. Lawrence Neighborhood Association
For generations, community waterfronts have been the ugly stepsisters of municipal planning, given over completely to commercial and industrial activity. They were gateways into a city when finished goods and raw materials were imported or exported by ship. But, changing economic patterns and the movement of such industrial activity elsewhere has left these spaces stagnant and in need of rejuvenation.
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Good design of municipal waterfronts promises positive returns for all. Their pleasing sights, sounds and smells make them a natural space for parks, boardwalks, restaurants and recreational activities. As important trade routes, waterways make significant contributions to the wealth of nations. As well, water from lakes and rivers is used extensively in the daily cooking and sanitation routines of a city’s population. For the city of Toronto, Lake Ontario is the drainage basin for a wide network of rivers, streams, tributaries, as well as storm and sanitary sewers so the health of the waterfront is dependent on careful watch of this larger system.
The inspiration for this charrette came from the desire to create awareness of the urban water cycle – including the management of stormwater, drinking water, and sewage – within a public space where people could also enjoy the sensory appeal of this resource. In the fall of 2006, the Toronto Waterfront Corporation’s decision to move the Sherbourne Park stormwater storage tank underground presented an opportune chance to explore the idea of combining water management with an educational and urban design mandate in a collaborative design exercise.
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Originally practical, as a place to gather water, to drink or to wash, fountains evolved into symbolic representations of a place or an event and are designed to manipulate and play with water and light. A frequent gathering place, water features deliver water with jubilance and provide a refreshing addition to any environment. They bring peace and visual enjoyment to many as it changes form and sound. In the case of this charrette, the team asked how a water feature could be both practical and delightfully frivolous and how a recreational space could assist in municipal water treatment, becoming an environmental and economic asset to a city. In the larger context, cities, in general, must consider how to preserve the beauty, safety and health of their waterfront ecologies for residents and wildlife while providing room for local, national and international trade.
Design Opportunity An open parking lot space facing the Toronto islands, known as the Jarvis Slip, which is part of a larger system of waterfront parks, is intersected by one of Toronto’s main north-south roads. It could become a point of reconnection between Toronto citizens and the city’s most prominent body of water.
Charrette Challenge Design a water feature within a public space on the waterfront that will build awareness of the urban water cycle, while also treating stormwater from the area before returning it to Lake Ontario.
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About the Site The Jarvis Street Slip is one of the slips or quays located along Queen’s Quay, Toronto’s southern-most road running along the waterfront. The slip is part of a network of open spaces made up of pedestrian-oriented streets, public parks, promenades, public squares, semi-public outdoor spaces and other slips such as the Parliament Street slip. This network is connected to a much larger system of waterfront parks to the east, including the Don River Park. At one time, Front Street and Lake Shore Boulevard were the most southern roads in Toronto until the city began to build up the inner harbour with soil excavated by the city’s subway system. In recent years, the Jarvis Slip area has been used seasonally as a parking lot. The East Bayfront Precinct Plan, prepared for the Toronto Waterfront Redevelopment Corporation, imagines the Jarvis Slip as a Special Use Site that integrates with other waterfront plans for the city.
Design Approach The Jarvis Slip is currently used as a parking lot and is not an inviting public space. This arid, concrete lot offers no shade, and it blocks direct access to the lake. Heavy industry and port use discourage social activities and public enjoyment of the space. The only inhabitants are seagulls and ships. In this proposal the team attempts to shift this dynamic by creating a unique experience that is a physical and iconic celebration of water.
1 Koetter Kim & Associates. Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg. BA Group LEA Consulting. GHK. Sustainable Edge. “East Bayfront Precinct Plan”. (Prepared for the Toronto Waterfront Revitilization Corporation, November 2005) http://www .toronto.ca/waterfront/ebf_precinct_plan.htm (accessed June 2007)
end, “This point of entry should be a major place of public activity. To that site” the block adjacent to the Jarvis Slip is designated as a “special use water and must be supported by active ground floor activity along its two this on Uses site. the through ilitiy accessib public of degree edges and a site should allow for indoor and outdoor activities that draw the public from Queens Quay to the water’s edge in all seasons. It could The site is an ideal location for significant public or commercial uses. garden, winter a as such venues program of number a of also house one an aquatic centre, a museum, a performance hall or another major public a institution. It is also contemplated that this clutter of uses may include — arcade shopping or hall market a — ce experien shopping ed specializ 1 benefiting from the combined presence of these activities.”
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
1) While touring the East Bayfront site, the team made two key observations.
- The heat in the space is unbearable and there are no shaded areas - Visitors cannot actually touch the water
shooting ground water fountains
3) Common themes from these initial ideas were identified, based on the World House Matrix systems.
2) The team divided into four groups to brainstorm ideas around the following question: “what can be done with the theme of water?”
site program: play, private, bike/ski rental, living wall, parking
• Energy (Climate); power hydraulics; pumps; gravity fed; heat; ice; heat and cool air; kinetic sculpture (use water to move architecture); seasons and phases of water (liquid, gas, solid); food production • Play; kinetic sculpture, spring thaw event, hidden fountain, floating sculpture, foster cultural and social activity • Purify (Terrain); capture and reuse – lake, rain, buildings, snow; nourish us and nourish the environment; grow food; waste; uv treatement, greywater filtration, living machine • Habitat: marshlands, ponds, streams, living wall
Friday Team presentations
use area throughout the seasons
Shooting ground water fountains
hydraulic display could block the view of RedPath
Amphitheatre
- - - - -
Notes from the critique: - How do you make a collaborative artwork/installation successful? - Public contributions need to be self-evident - Identify the right context for the park (Shanghai – lake in the city) - Water is a jewel - Follow the water flow throughout the site.
Different forms of water: solid, gas, liquid Characteristics of water: fluid, connecting, water is everywhere, soft Use natural elements to change the landscape (kinetic sculptures) Make furniture in the winter with rubber ice trays Self forming winter sculpture
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
4) The team searched for a theme
Industrial Brand • RedPath factory = Industrial water park • Industrial feel will make it different from other Waterfront spaces and will challenge traditional notions of water parks • Process by which water is treated • Manufacture of liquid goods/machinery that represents production of liquid for human consumption; other water treatment facilities in the area include alcohol distillery, brewery, winery • Can the treatment of water be transparent? How can the systems be illustrated architecturally and culturally?
5) The team narrowed in on a design concept
Statistics
Water Precedents • Roman Baths: brought people together to cleanse and socialize; public celebration of water • Istanbul: aquaduct in their fountain; water park is the only patch of cooled space for the average citizen
ribbon concept
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
5) The team narrowed in on a design concept
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Notes from the critique: • What is the toxicity of the site and surrounding area? • Perception of importance of the site: what are the reasons for people to be there? One stop in a series of stops? • Issue of scale • What is the experience taken away for visitors • Map out usage on the site • What are the levels of interactivity? • Pull the bike path down to the water • Simplify: limit program to 1-2 uses • Don’t isolate site from the whole: city, water, island • Designing the edge of a city
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
6) The group divided to address the comments from Wednesday’s critique.
How does the ribbon integrate into the park plan?
7) The team developed signage, furniture and plan details for the final presentation.
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Ribbon component: materials and dimensions
8) The team made their final presentations.
Design Results After visiting the Jarvis Slip site, charrette participants were led to prepare a ribbon concept that would serve as an intermediary between land and water. This water concept creates an identity, reconnects the public to the waterfront while both educative and entertaining:
Create an Identity for Water as energy, as habitat, as play, and as a purifier
Reconnect the Public to the Waterfront Both Physically and Spiritually with a direct link between the Queen’s Quay/Lower Jarvis intersection and the shoreline.
Create a Water Park That Will Educate and Entertain with a kinetic water sculpture.
Design Results
Create an Identity for Water In trying to promote water awareness and respect, the team considered common human needs and experiences around water: how do we interact with water through the five senses and how we are dependent on water for survival. The team classified water by its specific characteristics, namely energy, habitat, play and purification.
Energy Water produces energy and food. It can heat and cool
Habitat Water features (such as marshlands, ponds and streams) create spaces where wildlife and humans gathers.
Play Water moves and can be moved.
Purification Water cleans but also needs to be cleaned itself.
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Reconnect the Public to the Waterfront Both Physically and Spiritually The intersection of Jarvis Street and Queen’s Quay could serve as an entrance point where the public would access Lake Ontario. The ribbon icon would extend into the city as a sculptural representation of the park and would continue into the lake, connecting visitors from the street into the park and into the water. The structures would be designed as large wheelchair accessible ramps, submerged two feet below the Lake’s surface, enabling visitors to touch the water directly.
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Create a Water Park That Will Educate and Entertain This water park would provide public space where visitors could enjoy an intimate encounter with Lake Ontario. This unique water experience would also peak curiosity and interest in water as a resource and could act as a model of environmental efficiency in an urban setting. Some features of this experience could include: • • • • • • • • • • • •
spaces to sit and relax vegetation creating a naturally beautiful area areas for parking a wall that hides the parking area a snowboard ramp with hay bales and a safety net a holding pond and winter ice rink a living wall a green roof a terraced waterfall a meandering stream that leads to the holding pond cascading ribbon structures that filter water a kayak dock
Conclusion Water and waterfronts are complex entities to manage. The technical details of removing toxins from the water, moving to and from our streets and homes, and channeling that flow between lakes, pipes and filtration plants is one aspect of this relationship. On the other hand, water is essential to life and is soothing to touch, to listen to and to view. And, waterfronts are sometimes where all of these aspects merge. To inspire interest in preserving and protecting water resources citizens should have the opportunity to experience water’s sentimental value on a regular basis. What better place to do this than on the waterfront? The iconic ribbon concept that the Interdesign team has designed seeks to accomplish many functions. By spilling out into the city street, they would provide a reminder that the waterfront is close by. By submerging into the lake as a ramp they would allow visitors to enjoy the cool sensation of the lake on their skin. And, by filtering stormwater using a biofilter system, they would remind residents of a cycle that is critical to their existence.
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Port Perry: Urban Docks
Port Perry Team
Project Partners Marilyn Pearce, Mayor, Township of Scugog Gene Chartier, Commissioner of Infrastructure & Development, Township of Scugog Andrew Doersam, Principal Planner, Township of Scugog Bob Carey, Stockworth Developments Project Leads IwB Student: Gavin Baxter, Port Perry, Canada IwB Faculty: Rohan Walters, Spaces by Rohan
Team Facilitator: Dimitri Papatheodorou, Papatheodorou & Wodkiewicz Architects IwB Students Richard MacIntosh, Toronto, Canada Elizabeth Huntly-Cooke, Toronto, Canada Carmen Paz Rivera, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Project Delegates Andrew Chiu, Toronto, Canada Claes Frossen, Sweden, Swedish Industrial Design Foundation, Director of Market Development Chiara Nifosi, Milano, Italy
Nicolo Privileggio, Milano, Italy Marialessandria Secchi, Milano, Italy Anders Svensson, Bankeryd, Sweden
Anna Stranks, Studio A Design Collaborative Barbara Vogel, Vogel Architects, Toronto, Canada
Keith U, Toronto, Canada
Jacek Vogel, Vogel Architects, Toronto, Canada
Ibrahem Zoabi, Kfar Maser, Israel
Community Representatives
Local Advisors
Don Farquharson, Concerned Citizens of Scugog
Donna Hinde, The Planning Partnership Martin Liefhebber Breathe Architects Toronto, Canada Brock Miller, Brock Miller Industrial Design
Bill Lishman, Scugog Lake Stewards Jamie Ross, Scugog Lake Stewards
The Southern Ontario Greenbelt consists of 1.8 million acres of protected land beginning at the Niagara Escarpment and ending at the municipality of Clarington, Bowmanville. The area is rich with farmland, wetlands, forests and watersheds, and is also dotted with many small towns such as Orangeville, Acton, Stouffville, Uxbridge and Port Perry. Critically participants in this charrette needed to understand the relationship between these small towns and this environmentally sensitive area, while imagining a development model that would nurture its resilience.
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The Port Perry development site, which was the focus of this charrette, sits on the edge of the town’s urban boundary, and borders the Oak Ridge Moraine (ORM), which is part of the larger Greenbelt. Both the municipality responsible, theTownship of Scugog, and the site’s owner were interested in considering ecologically responsible strategies for the design of this community gateway. The resulting proposal from the Interdesign team is one that could be part of a greater density intensification and conservation program, protecting the surrounding land from urban sprawl while serving to diversify the Port Perry economy. In early May 2007, a group of citizens were also brought together by the Township to work with professional planners and landscape architects to strategize options for the re-development of the waterfront and the downtown core. Over a period of three days, residents were invited to share their ideas, which included conceptualizing open, accessible and naturalized public spaces in and around the Waterfront. The Interdesign team referenced this work in their design, including a walkway that would connect with the proposed Waterfront path.
Design Opportunity A brownfield development site currently zoned as employment lands, which borders a natural wetland and sits on the edge of the urban boundary, marking a strategic gateway to the community.
Charrette Challenge Create a community plan that connects the development site with the existing urban fabric and adjacent lands. Consider linking the site to the wetlands and eventually Lake Scugog, with walking trails, paths and lookout points that will encourage social interaction and build awareness of the wetland’s vital role The plan will ensure a responsible, mutually reliant correlation between industry and nature, will strengthen Port Perry’s identity, and will be a replicable example for municipalities that share similar natural features and proximity to the Oak Ridge Moraine and larger Greenbelt
Charrettes – Port Perry 141
About the Site Port Perry, located in the Township of Scugog, has a unique geography and local economy that helps define its rural identity. The town is committed to preserving its historical and cultural character, and the residents have a strong interest in conserving the natural environment. The charrette’s site, with a municipal address of 21 Oyler Drive, is located at the Town’s southern gateway and consists of roughly 16 acres of development land and 70 acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands. The development property was formerly owned and operated by Johnson Controls Inc.. Their 55,000 sq. ft. factory, which was used primarily for manufacturing, was closed in the early 1990s and was leased to other industrial users. It has since been demolished, leaving only its concrete floor.
Charrettes – Port Perry 143
The site at is currently zoned as MI (Restricted Industrial) and the wetlands as EP (Environmental Protection). Under the Ministry of the Environment guidelines, a Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) must be conducted prior to development. The wetland is also protected with an ANSI (Area of Natural & Scientific Interest) designation by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, as land that has provincially or regionally significant ecological features. The bordering marshland is an important watershed for the Oak Ridges Moraine and contains a variety of native flora and fauna. As well, a large private reserve encompasses the wetland bordering the site, owned and operated by the Cartwright Lands Co., which has maintained the land since 1883.
Charrettes – Port Perry 145
Design Approach People love Port Perry for its lifestyle, its recreational value, the easy access to nature and its rural character and charm. To preserve these assets, the team felt it necessary to propose an alternative model to the urban planning trends that are currently prevalent throughout southern Ontario. They focused on enhancing quality of life for Port Perry residents and supporting existing local economies. The team’s proposal for Port Perry envisions a human-scale, mixed-use development that would be implemented in stages, increase the density of the urban settlement and respect the natural landscape. Participants hoped their approach could serve as a model for developments in communities that share a similar geography and architectural heritage.
Charrettes – Port Perry 147
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
The team traveled together from Toronto to Port Perry, crossing over the Oak Ridges Moraine. During this ride they discussed the changing landscape, the relationship of small townships to the larger urban areas of Toronto and the existing land use planning precedents that exist in southern Ontario.
The team traveled over the Don Valley Parkway and the 401, north on Brock St. through downtown in Whitby, continuing north through the Town of Brooklin, and over the Oak Ridge Morraine into Scugog township.
What is the history of the Canadian Tire and restaurant developments nearby?
How is surface runoff from the parking lot treated?
1) During the tour, the team met with the Mayor of Port Perry, the Commissioner of Infrastructure, the owner of Stockworth Developments (the site developer) and a representative from the firm responsible for the site’s initial planning.
What is the site’s current land use designation? What is the relationship between the site and the adjoining wetland? What is the town’s ideal development scenario?
Is the town interested in a mixed-use development model? What is the developer’s vision for the site? What role would this development take in the future of the community?
Key Observations • Land that borders natural landscapes should be designed as public space. • There is a strong relationship between the community and the natural landscapes both within and surrounding the urban area • There is a visible rural charm and character that can be understood through interaction with community representatives. • The existing architecture has historical significance • The main street (Queen St.) provides varied services and is anchored by a relatively new municipal building
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Systems Integration If the town of Port Perry wants to avoid the disruptive patterns of sprawling suburban development, all components of the plan, such as energy efficient buildings and sewage treatment facilities, must integrate together as one collaborative system, evolving over time as technology advances. By designing the town in this regard, new jobs and training opportunities will arise.
2) The team reviewed the objectives and analyzed the site and then broke into four groups to assess the design opportunity according to the World House Systems.
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Water • Water will be harvested on site • Water supply will be gravity fed to reduce distribution costs • Greywater will be recycled and used for irrigation and toilet flushing • 100% of stormwater run-off from adjacent lands will be cleaned and filtered while passing through the site
Energy • 100% of buildings will be designed with a combined total energy balance • Thin, long buildings oriented along the site, will maximize passive solar gain design will maximize solar orientation
RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS Solar Tracking Solar Tracking: Currently, solar PV panels are one of the few commercially available technologies to harness and collect energy from the sun. Earth construction methodologies One benefit of earth construction is that it requires minimal or even no cement. Cement is a significant source of CO2 emissions. Cob, adobe, rammed earth, earthship and earth construction are all examples of construction methodologies that use earth as the primary building material.
Waste For this proposal to be feasible, an on‑site waste treatment system must be incorporated. Zoned as employment lands, the development currently has sewer allocation for approximately 160,000 square foot (14,870 square metres) of building space used primarily for daytime operations. This would not have the required capacity to handle waste from a mixed-use model with residential units. 100% of all sewage/wastewater will be treated on site through a closed loop system before returning to nature.
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Constructed Wetlands – Living Machines This technology treats black water (sewage) by pumping it with air into plastic holding tanks that contain a variety of plant species. The plants, bacteria and microbes breakdown pollutants as the sewage moves from one tank to the next, until it can be used for low-grade functions such as irrigation. Living machines cost approximately half as much as a typical treatment plant and can be designed to accommodate 100,000 gallons of waste per day (or waste from approximately 2,000 people). The process is odor free.1
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Construction • All landscaping and building materials will be sourced according to their embodied energy and recycled product content • Locally manufactured products and resources will be used when possible • All indoor materials will be VOC (volatile organic compounds) free
Finance • An educational institution will enhance retail and cooperative initiatives • The development will generate skills and knowledge based jobs • Energy efficient buildings will result in long-term operational savings. • The development will attract tourists to the community and thus, opportunity for business growth
Reduce Light Pollution Imagine looking at the stars every night like you were sitting in the wilderness. Lunar lights could be installed to reduce light pollution.
Communication • Fast city/slow city • Create policies • Facilitate communication a walkway • A development precedent that could strengthen the Official Plan for the municipality.
Transportation • The site will integrate pedestrian friendly walking and cycling paths to promote social activity • On-site parking will be available, but could also be used as a recreational ground for students • The site would include an access point to public transportation • The development could have a couple of vehicles available for rent or for auto sharing
Identity • Small-scale town • Arts & crafts
Social A public spa will promote health and wellness
Spatial The wetlands will create a new connection to main street
Social A public spa will promote health and wellness
1 John Todd, Ocean Arks International, www. oceanarks.org/restorer/; www.oceanarks.org/ restorer/(accessed June 27th 2007) Charrettes – Port Perry 153
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
MICRO PERSPECTIVE Adjacent land uses include infrastructure (roads), greenways, wetlands Should we connect to the wetlands? Should the wetlands be connected to the Port Perry core? What is the front/back relationship to the site? What would be a healthy development scheme?
MACRO PERSPECTIVE Existing relationships between the Oak Ridges Moraine, its bordering communities and large urban centres. These communities share a similar territorial character. What do visitors like? What do residents like? How to learn from other communities? What domestic or international developments are strong models to follow?
3) This analysis evolved into a larger discussion of concepts
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
What is the maximum level of the flood plain? Where is the town’s urban boundary? What are the height restrictions? What will the land be designated as under the new Official Plan? What are the regional requirements regarding on-site power generation, wastewater filtration and water treatment?
4) The team asked more questions of the town planner and the developer. As a result, they received both hard and soft costs for a typical development scenario for planning and construction, as well as zoning restrictions and allowable building areas.
Common Themes • Landscape as identity • People’s relationship with land and water • Light pollution • Economies of scale • Transitional space • Existing land use planning • Planning models • Densification to promote conservation • Planning for incremental growth
5) The group gathered to develop a list of the common themes.
Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Master Plan
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
• • • • • •
site wetland mixed-use urban boundary land use planning in Port Perry connection to the Oak Ridges Moraine & Greenbelt • densification policy • incremental development
Architectural
6) The team broke into four groups to design.
• • • • • • • •
typology form density mixed-use orientation scale access mixed cultures, income levels and demographics • systems Integration
Economic Model
• economies of scale • contribution to local economy • job creation • production and manufacturing
• trade and mentorship programs • learn through doing • sweat equity
Education
The group discussed an alternate strategy for urban planning that: • Questioned the one family home and its high infrastructure costs. • Layered public, private and communal spaces.
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Grow through intensification
7) The team established a three-part vision for the future of Port Perry:
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
Reinstate residents’ relationship with land and water
Support local economies
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Design Process Monday Site visit & goal getting
Tuesday Idea generation & concept development
Notes from the critique: • Quantify systems design requirements to make the proposal realistic. • Connect to the adjacent community with direct access point into the neighbourhood, such as a pedestrian walkway over Simcoe Street. • Allocate percentages for each of the programmed useages for the development: residential, commercial, institutional, public, light industrial. (employment)
Wednesday Schematic design & systems audit
Thursday Design refinement & presentation development
Friday Team presentations
8) The team made their final presentations.
Design Results The team established a three-part vision for the future of Port Perry:
Grow Through Intensification Preserve and extend the rural character of Port Perry by increasing the density of areas between the town and the natural landscape and by designing spaces that will evolve with the community. This implies a mixed-use development plan.
Reinstate Residents’ Relationship with Land and Water Create synergies between natural and built environments with transition spaces that connect residences and businesses to nature. Enhance existing transition spaces that bridge residential neighbourhoods with employment lands.
Support Local Economies Build state-of-the-art research, manufacturing and residential facilities that will house and promote healthy, innovative and environmentally conscious living and business practices. Support an eco-movement for entrepreneurial activity that will provide long-term training, employment and career growth opportunities
Grow Through Intensification A density intensification plan could be staged incrementally, helping to deter sprawl beyond the urban boundary, preserving the Oak Ridges Moraine and agricultural land. By intensifying the urbanized areas that border the Greenbelt, municipalities could reach a critical mass of population that would make services (e.g. public transit) viable. This proposal calls for a reexamination of the one-family house as the predominant model of settlement in these communities. Single-family dwellings incur such high semi-personalized infrastructure costs (roads, sewage, water, electricity, telephone, etc) that supplying these services becomes an economic and ecological burden.
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Reinstate Residents’ Relationship with Land and Water The wetlands, the farmlands, and the Oak Ridges Moraine, are all valuable assets to the health of the region and its residents. Thus, an important part of the development strategy for Port Perry is to understand the relationship of its urban spaces to these natural features as well as the transition spaces that link them together.
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Reinstate Residents’ Relationship with Land and Water The shelterbelt between the: development site and the wetlands currently consists of a thin tree line that would be enhanced to create a thick ‘park-like’ strip and naturalized filter between the natural and manufactured spaces. This dense thicket would define an edge where the experience of residents and visitors would shift, as would their awareness of their responsibility to respect and preserve the regional ecology. The strip would be accessible by foot and bike only and would provide safe access from the site to the larger Port Perry community, including: • adjacent neighbourhoods • the main commercial, civic and historical centre of Queen Street • the waterfront path that was proposed during a recent Parks, Recreation & Culture Strategic Master Plan workshop. A pedestrian bridge over the road could take advantage of the extreme difference in grade from the residential neighbourhood to the site. Linkages would be created using educational signage that highlights the ecological importance and historical significance of the Scugog Marshlands and its direct relationship to Lake Scugog and other channels in the Trent‑Severn Waterway. This connecting system would be developed in phases, beginning with the border of the wetlands, and eventually meeting with Palmer Park, which sits on the shore of Lake Scugog.
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Reinstate Residents’ Relationship with Land and Water The team also proposed an architectural form based on the typology of the main street in Port Perry, which runs perpendicular to the town’s pier that extends into Lake Scugog. This formal relationship offers physical access and a visual connection at all times with nature. The team recreated the “dock” several times in the design along the length of the property. These finger-like buildings would run parallel to each other and consist of mixed–use levels, much like traditional Southern Ontario main streets, which have employment spaces (commercial, entrepreneurial, small business, food markets, cafés) at grade with residential and office spaces above.
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Support Local Economies The development for the site should help the Port Perry economy build resilience over time, even under the continual pressures of an evolving global economy. As such, it could be designed to continually perpetuate long-term learning and employment opportunities. For example, the site could house a satellite education facility and research centre for a post-secondary academic institution while also accommodating regional manufacturers. In the facility, tenants would develop and teach state-of-the-art environmental design innovation and management practices. A mentorship program could guide the research and applied learning. Energy, waste and water systems could be designed, built and maintained by students and graduates in partnership with manufacturers.
Charrettes – Port Perry 173
Support Local Economies Overall, the development could include a mix of: • • • • •
educational facilities offices small retail outlets professional engineering and design studios restaurants
It would attract business tenants who practice social, ecological and economic responsibility and transparency in their operations. This business would contribute to the existing economy in Port Perry, while also fueling new economies of scale. The development would breakdown as follows: Residential – 40% of building occupancy Mixed-income homes and multiple configuration options could accommodate varied demographics. Commercial – 15% of building occupancy Commercial opportunities could focus on environmentally conscious products and services such as: • For example, organic food markets and restaurants • arts and crafts studios • renewable energy technologies. Institutional / Public – 30% of building occupancy An institution of higher education could develop a satellite campus where students can learn the practical skills of designing, restoring and maintaining on-site water, stormwater, waste and energy systems, and study the ecology of Lake Scugog and the marshlands. This facility would also conduct research and development in renewable technologies. Light Industry – 15% of building occupancy Socially and ecologically conscious light industry can provide skill and knowledge-based employment that will contribute to the existing local economy.
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Conclusion The team’s strategy for Port Perry relies on rearticulating a typical section of the main street, but with fresh and ecologically responsible design additions. The scenario calls for phasing over a 35-year period where new buildings would be added to the site as required, and smaller adjustments could be made between phases to accommodate for growing families and businesses. The structures would be built to adapt to the changing needs of the users. For example, spaces could shift in floor plan orientation and ceiling height, allowing commercial units to transform into residential lofts as required. Additional floors and new structures could be inserted with very little alteration to the site. Designing for future growth will limit the energy use and waste production that comes with costly retrofits and upgrades. The development would: suit both public and private purposes, provide public access to nature and enable an incremental build-out of the site, ultimately resulting in a planned process of density intensification. In addition, it would integrate state-ofthe-art, environmentally conscious technologies and traditions that are researched and created on site. As a result, these features would generate employment and
training opportunities as well as options for continued learning. Finally, a green corridor would be planted to link various parts of the town: the main street to the wetlands, the preserved agricultural land to the lake, employment lands to the wetland and the new economy to the existing one. The park-like strip would join the site with the downtown core and the adjoining commercial and residential neighbourhoods. This would be the first pedestrian-friendly path from the community’s southern gateway to the downtown area. The thickness of this transition space would vary depending on topography, becoming larger where it meets the site to function as a distinct point of access to the wetlands. It is hoped that this proposed development model can set a precedent for other communities bordering the Greenbelt, build links between these communities and instigate a dialogue on the importance of community involvement in municipal planning initiatives.
Common Themes
Despite following different and independent design paths, charrette teams still emerged with design propositions that share common themes and values. They are as follows:
Transition Space Whether they are designed with intention or exist as part of a natural system, transition spaces play a significant role in shaping our interaction with both manufactured and natural environments. In the Port Perry and Toronto Waterfront proposals, transition spaces are used to bridge urban with natural, while in the Mount Dennis proposal, transition spaces form a network linking social and business hubs. Downsview Park, on the other hand, is a space that is, literally, in transition. Connecting People with Land and Water Lake Ontario, the Lake Scugog Wetlands, the Eglinton Flats and Downsview Park are all natural treasures to be explored. The proposed charrette designs include features such as a boardwalk along the wetland, a gateway into the Flats, mobile carts for the Downsview meadow and a ramp submerged in the lake, that make it easier for visitors to enjoy these assets.
Common Themes 181
Incremental Development All four proposals argue that nature is resilient and designs that grow organically, over time, to match the natural patterns of the site and the community, will endure long-term. Phased development will also allow proposed designs to be modified by their users based on changing needs and interests. For example, it is the residents, not the designers, that will construct the social economies of the Toronto Waterfront, the market economies of Mount Dennis and Port Perry and the urban identity of Downsview Park.
Creating Markets and Habitats All four charrettes anticipate that, by creating places where interaction can occur, new social, business and ecological networks will emerge. The development of these spaces will result in new habitats for both people and animals. The first step is to understand the potential value of the future space to foster life and trade. The second is to build the space. The final step is to provide easy access to the place, physically, financially and intellectually, for residents and businesses. For example, critical to the Mount Dennis proposal is the entrepreneurial training program that will aid young businesses in the neighbourhood economy. Similarly, the Port Perry proposal considers how the careers of residents can develop and mature within the one small town. In the Downsview Park and Waterfront charrettes, simple considerations such as shade and connection to public transportation will greatly increase the sites’ ability to attract and support activity.
Common Themes 183
Creating a Destination Storefronts filled with local vendors in Port Perry, a native plant garden in Mount Dennis’ Eglinton Flats, a square where families can enjoy the sun in Downsview Park and cascading, interactive ribbon sculptures that filter water are all features that will transform the four charrette sites into well recognized destinations. They will draw an audience, locally, nationally and globally, like the Rideau in Ottawa, Central Park in New York and Granville Island in Vancouver. Integration A successful public space should merge seamlessly with the people, places and systems that surround, encompass and pass through it each day. This, in effect, will build a support network for long-term caretaking and preservation.
Connection Throughout the four charrette proposals, the theme of connection emerged time and again: connecting people with nature, people with people, urban with rural, public with private, and craftspeople with consumers. This is no coincidence because charrettes, by definition, are designed to forge connections – between designers and stakeholders, between designers and designers and between the community and the space. By doing this, partnerships and commonalities inevitably emerge. When opportunities are linked, relationships built, and interactions encouraged, they tend to grow exponentially.
Common Themes 185
Moving Forward
The positive energy of the teams and the ensuing results were exceptionally rewarding. Critical to this process was the commitment throughout from residents, community groups, elected representatives, developers and owners. In support of the Institute, the four charrette partners -– Parc Downsview Park Inc., the Toronto Waterfront Corporation, the Township of Scugog, and the community of Mount Dennis – assembled background materials about the sites which help frame the charrette challenges and guide design decisions. As a result of this support, teams could target their proposals to address the existing needs of the communities, both directly and immediately. The Institute was fortunate to begin collaboration with these four partners at a unique point in their development, where background research, planning and discussion had already taken place and, yet, the sites were still relatively undeveloped, leaving ample opportunity for creative exploration from the delegates.
It is at these pivotal moments in a project’s development that an international design charrette is particularly appropriate, where a balanced variety of cultures, generations and professions are represented. Defining the character of a national urban park, for example, is a lofty and open-ended task, which can benefit from the perspectives of many. Designing shoreline spaces to mediate community, government and corporate uses is a challenge that is consistent across continents. Finally, capitalizing on abandoned retail and industrial spaces, such as those found in Mount Dennis and Port Perry, as an opportunity to redefine the economy and identity of a community, is a viable approach for recreating an entire city, one area at a time. In fact, all four development scenarios have tremendous potential to make significant social, economic and ecological contributions to their respective communities and surrounding regions as a result of their locations as well as invested interest from external groups. The results of the four Interdesign charrettes are a beginning that contain the seeds for phased community planning strategies that could be investigated and developed further in future community charrettes, by municipal planning committees, or by design firms. The World House
Moving Forward 189
Interdesign was only one way of inserting integrated design methodology into the planning of four Southern Ontario sites. This methodology can still be embraced throughout the projects’ design and implementation stages using numerous other collaborative strategies. The challenge is deciding, who should be involved, in what capacity and at what stage. An integrated design charrette such as the World House Interdesign can bring attention to city building projects and allow active participation from the city’s constituents, emphasizing the importance of continually considering city planning strategies in advance to implementation. As such, charrettes can be valuable tools for inserting fresh ideas into urban and regional planning initiatives. As we become ever more connected through digital technology, it seems plausible that international design charrettes can and will take place regularly. At the World House Interdesign, landowners, residents, sponsors, students and designers started conversations on topics that are universally relevant across borders and professional disciplines. The Institute’s intention is for participants and partners alike to absorb what they have gained together and determine how to apply these concepts in their respective corners of the world.
“ I think in the projects we have seen this morning, there are problems that we can find in several other places of the world. Many cities have the problem that they lost some of their original identity because of the change from the industrial age to the post-industrial age. Other cities like to emerge, like to develop themselves to be something else other than they were before. In both situations, design can help a lot. So to create a new consciousness in these kind of cities is a wonderful challenge and a task at the same time.�2 ~ Dr. Peter Zec
President, International Council of Industrial Designers
1 World House Interdesign 2007, Closing Ceremonies, June 29, 2007 Moving Forward 191
Appendicies
4 LENSES
4 FILTERS
12 SYSTEMS
4 MODES
WATER
TERRAIN NOURISH
FOOD
WASTE
CONSTRUCTION
CLIMATE SHELTER
BALANCED
AIR HANDLING
ENERGY
SUSTAINABLE INTELLIGENT
FINANCE
UNIVERSAL
SPINE ZONE GENERATIVE HUB
ECONOMY CONNECT
MOBILITY
COMMUNICATION
SOCIAL
CULTURE EXPRESS
SPATIAL
IDENTITY
A. World House Matrix The Institute without Boundaries has categorized the basic elements of housing design into twelve systems, which can be further grouped into the categories of terrain, climate, economy and culture. In every project, these elements combine and integrate to generate designs that promote the long-term health of all species and cultures. This Matrix provides a framework for generating innovative ideas and auditing the quality of the final product. The Institute uses the Matrix primarily for housing design challenges, although it can be adapted to suit other scenarios.
Appendix 195
Lenses Balanced How can we strike a balance between extremes and craft a wholesome life for ourselves? From work to leisure and from starvation to excess, balancing both our individual and collective lifestyle habits is an important step in achieving peace and health. Sustainable How can we meet the needs of the today without compromising those of the future? Sustainable design considers the distribution, allocation and management of resources, including human resources, to achieve local and global objectives.
Intelligent How can we use technology to promote the long-term health of nature and human cultures? By combining “hi-tech� innovations with traditional knowledge and processes, we can design systems for the home that complement our daily routines and respond intuitively to our evolving needs. Universal How can we design products and environments for all people, to the greatest extent possible? Universal design takes into consideration flexibility, simplicity and self-evidence to accommodate the various life stages, circumstances and needs of people.
Appendix 197
Filters & Systems Terrain: Nourish How does our home help to nourish us? The home, and the human body, is dependant on and a part of local and distant ecosystems. Food and water enter the home and are stored to feed and sustain us. They leave, along with other inorganic materials, to reenter the system as nutrients or as pollution. How can our homes nourish the land? Water Where there is water, there is probably life. We rely on it daily in our homes for cleaning and for nourishment. With debates around this precious resource heating up – is water a human right or commodity? – how can we improve its collection, conservation, reuse and distribution, to ensure fair access for all nations? Imagine a home that recycles its greywater for reuse. Food Food maintains life and is also an integral part of cultural identities and lifelong memories. But moving meals from field to table is dependent on a complex social and economic network that is global, mechanical, biotechnical and media driven. Advances in appliances and preserving techniques makes eating increasingly hassle free for the modern-day homeowner. How can we embrace new technologies without losing connection to the healthy food traditions that define our humanity? Waste Waste is the by-product of life. In our homes alone, we generate biological, organic, chemical, and synthetic waste products, each of which requires its own management system to avoid polluting soil and water and to prevent outbreaks of disease. Today, the sheer volume of our waste threatens not only cities, but also our entire planetary balance. Imagine a home that achieves a zero-waste footprint by managing its resources intelligently.
Climate: Shelter How does our home mediate our relationship with the elements? We shield ourselves from sand storms, rainstorms and animals yet welcome in wind and sun to make our spaces more comfortable to inhabit. How can we protect our buildings against damage from climatic conditions without shutting out the things that nourish life? Construction Shelter is the result of materials extracted and fabricated into building parts, then crafted together by human and mechanical labour. How can we improve this process to increase local sourcing and owner participation? Imagine a home that grows out of and returns to nature by using innovative building materials and processes. Air Imagine a home that maintains high air quality levels by using natural convection, cross ventilation, stack effect and breathable membranes. Moving, replenishing, moderating and maintaining air quality within and around a home is fundamental to the health and well being of its occupants. How can we capitalize on the basic laws of physics (convection, conduction and radiation) and use primarily passive systems to achieve HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)? Energy Electricity and fuel, combined with technology, grant us mechanical efficiency within our homes. We can make light in darkness, heat in cool climates and cool food in warm ones, simply by plugging into the energy grid. The sources that support this grid, however, are not without limits. How can we tap into alternative and renewable sources of energy, as well as achieve designs that are energy efficient? Imagine a home that creates more energy than it consumes by harnessing natural elements such as sun, water, wind and bio-waste.
Appendix 199
Filters & Systems Economy: Connect How does our home connect us to each other, our environment and the world? Communication and transportation devices bring us together to form business and social networks. As a result, we can exchange information, goods and services to support and enhance each other’s lifestyles. Finance Houses are often the reward of our life savings. Mortgages and sweat equity make ownership possible for consumers in many income brackets. As well, the housing industry accounts for 67% of GDP growth in developed countries, providing invaluable labour opportunities. Imagine a home that creates wealth for the community by using local suppliers and laborers, and a financial model that helps to leverage shelter into an affordable bracket for a greater number of citizens. Mobility The flow of people and goods to and from the home, and also within the home, both physically and virtually, permits networks to form, business to take place, and economies to grow. How can the design of our homes facilitate quick movement of ideas and objects to promote physical activity and free time in our daily routine? Communication Sharing ideas is a powerful way to shape societies. Whether by telephone or video broadcast, we constantly send messages out from our dwellings and accept new information in. Every year, our homes make room for new gadgets that minimize the distance between doorsteps, such as radios, televisions, telephones and computer devices. We also continue to create new methods for our home to communicate with us. Imagine a home that communicates to and for us by using interfaces that stimulate all five senses.
Culture: Express How does our home express our ambitions? The home is the intersection between public and private, and is also an avenue for self-expression, directly influencing how we interact with each other. Social Often, the design of a house determines the nature and degree of interaction that will take place between family members, roommates and neighbours. It can be open to the street or fenced in; it can provide space for group gatherings, or dictate isolation. Imagine a home that contributes to the community, promoting social interaction and providing safe and welcoming spaces. Spatial People inhabit space. It has depth, breadth and height. Its configuration, along with the play of light and shadow, can assign it with characteristics such as public or private, dangerous or safe, open or confined. Today, a popular question is how to increase density in cities without infringing on individuals’ desire for personal space? Imagine a home that has spaces that can adapt to different functions and foster both the personal and the communal. Identity Houses shelter us from the elements and also support the actions and intentions of our lives. They are extensions of our dreams and desires. A house – its form, materials, location and period – presents an image to the world about its occupants.
Appendix 201
B. Interdesign Events
Opening Reception, Berkeley Church Keynote presentation on Energy, Climate and Resilient Design, by Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon, global visionary and author of the Governor General’s Award winning book, The Ingenuity Gap.
Panel Discussion, Design Exchange Ideas for action in water and housing Moderator: Nicola Ross Executive Editor of Alternatives Journal Panelists: Leslie Hoffman Executive Director, Earth Pledge Peter Love Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Conservation Bureau, Ontario Power Authority Beatrice Olivastri CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada David Henderson Managing Director, XPV Capital
Appendix 203
Guest Lecture, Design Exchange Presentation on design innovation by Mr. Bill Moggridge, Congress Chair of Connecting 07 World Design Congress and co-founder of IDEO
Final Presentations and Closing Remarks, Toronto Centre for the Arts Presentations by all four teams to an audience of experts, partners and special guests, and a speech by Icsid President, Peter Zec
Appendix 205
Closing Party, 401 Richmond An evening of art, food and celebration on a downtown rooftop garden Public Exhibition, Toronto Centre for the Arts What will Toronto look like tomorrow? An exhibition of the charrette results in North Toronto’s premiere cultural facility. Water Illuminated, Sharon Temple A fusion of art, music and light at a national historic site in East Gwillimbury
C. Charrette Process Monday, 9am-5pm Site visit & goal setting
4. The project’s final outcomes will unfold and change throughout the process in a way that cannot be predicted at the start.
Tuesday, 8am-5pm Idea generation & concept development
5. Sometimes identifying what you do not want clarifies what you do want.
Wednesday, 8am-8pm Schematic design & systems audit
6. While some delegates preferred to start the process without expectations, others wished they received the background research prior to the charrette.
Thursday, 8am-5pm Design refinement & development of presentations (desk critique) Friday, 9am-3pm Team presentations, closing remarks & charrette debrief
D. 11 Key Learnings from the Delegates At the end of the week, a handful of delegates met to discuss their thoughts on the experience. These are their suggestions on how to organize and participate in design charrette: 1. Small groups are best for concept development.
7. Interdesign is a good way for designers to reenergize after a few years of professional practice. 8. Thorough documentation comes in handy later on. 9. A varied mix of professional backgrounds will help ensure a wellrounded result. 10. It is critical that all team members commit their full attention to the project for the duration of the charrette. 11. Numbers, percentages and statistics help justify design choices.
2. Good facilitation is fundamental to the group’s success. 3. It is invaluable to give ample time to visit the site and speak with community members.
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E. The Institute without Boundaries The Institute without Boundaries at George Brown College is organized around the belief that learning comes best when a community shares an ambitious challenge and is willing to collaborate to find the knowledge, creativity and innovation required to solve it. Curriculum at the Institute is structured to foster inter-disciplinary learning. Students, faculty, mentors and advisors of different geographic, cultural and professional backgrounds, come together to share their expertise while tackling an existing world issue. The Institute hosts lectures, seminars, workshops and intensive learning sessions from industry leaders. Throughout the semester, students engage in a process of research, conceptualization, experimentation and testing of theories in the public domain. Over the next few years the Institute is exploring the evolution of housing design, incorporating universal, intelligent and sustainable design principles.
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