May 29, 2009

HOLCIM AWARDS

The Evergreen site contains 16 designated heritage buildings, some of which date back to the 1890s.

Green Building

Holcim recognition helps Evergreen Brick Works raise more funds

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

A high-profile $55-million project to transform an abandoned brick yard complex in the heart of Toronto into an environmental park and learning centre has one-upped itself.

Last fall, the Evergreen Brick Works heritage site received an Acknowledgment Award in the Holcim North American Awards 2008 competition, and since then, the impact has been substantial.

The award “has been very helpful in our fundraising efforts,” says David Stonehouse, an urban planner with the Evergreen Foundation, the not-for-profit organization spearheading the revitalization of the former Don Valley Brick Works.

To date, the charity has received $20 million from Infrastructure Canada, $10 Million from the Ontario Ministry of Culture and $3 million from the David and Robin Young Family. The funding is in instalments, but Evergreen still has to raise the balance, including about $35 million in construction costs, says Stonehouse.

Located in Toronto’s Don Valley, the site contains 16 designated heritage buildings, some of which date back to the 1890s. The brick works closed in the 1990s. At one time, the property was zoned for a housing development but was appropriated by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority because it was partially on the flood plain.

Earlier this year the Evergreen Foundation signed a lease agreement with the city, which manages the site, after several years of negotiations.

With a targeted goal of achieving LEED Platinum status, its mission is to transform the 4.9-hectare site into “a venue for exploring fundamental challenges facing sustainable cities of today such as environmental and community health, brownfield development, heritage conservation and the need for innovative public-private partnerships.”

To accomplish that goal, minimal alterations and restorations will be made to the buildings which are being designed by du Toit Architects, the project’s prime architect.

Rather than completely rebuild the structures, Evergreen’s approach is an adaptive reuse “which emphasizes a light touch and loose fit, with the aim of ensuring the adaptability of the site to changing ideas of program and occupancy.”

However, there will be one new building. Construction of the 45,000-Centre for Urban Sustainability has been underway since February.

Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects, it will include features such as the Evergreen administrative offices, event space and childrens’ programming facilities.

In early May, site servicing and foundation restoration work for four of the 16 existing buildings got underway. Micro piles are being installed to connect the on-grade slabs with bedrock to stabilize the buildings. Eastern Construction is the overall construction manager.

All the work should be completed and the Evergreen Bricks Works will be in full operation by 2010, says Stonehouse.

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