Diamond and Schmitt Architects
MEDIA RELEASE
September 24, 2010
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AT EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS
Diamond and Schmitt transform brownfield heritage site
TORONTO – A former brick factory located in a ravine in the heart of downtown Toronto re-opens this weekend as a multi-faceted centre for environmental awareness. Evergreen Brick Works occupies a 4.9-hectare site with 16 designated heritage buildings, some of which date from the 1890s.
Diamond and Schmitt Architects, part of a large interdisciplinary team on the project, designed the centerpiece Welcome Centre and Centre for Green Cities, a 55,000-square-foot facility that incorporates original ground floor walls of the brick drying room. These are the only new buildings on the site.
“The environmental agenda drove this project to create a landmark for sustainable community development and design,” said Donald Schmitt, principal with Diamond and Schmitt Architects. The five-storey building houses the offices of the non-profit Evergreen, classrooms and event space. The adjoining Welcome Centre features industrial artifacts, including a massive brick press that remained in situ when brick production ceased in the late 1980s.
The building scheme employs a variety of innovative initiatives that will reduce energy consumption by sixty percent over a conventional building. These include much higher insulation rates on walls roofs and windows, ground floor radiant heating, a green roof, rainwater harvesting, sunscreen shading, natural ventilation chimneys and lighting sensors.
“In keeping with Evergreen’s mission to bring communities and nature together, we strove to design the most energy efficient building possible”, added Schmitt. The Centre for Green Cities is targeting LEED Platinum certification for energy conservation, a first for a designated heritage site in Canada.
Preserving as much of the character and history of the brick works site meant graffiti and the patina of age are retained and not scrubbed clean. Evergreen’s varied programming will include art installations, gardens, children’s play area, a café with an emphasis on local foods, a retail nursery for indigenous plants and a winter skating rink. Future phases of development include restoring the 115-metre-long kilns, Chimney Court children’s activity area and further heritage interpretation.
Diamond and Schmitt Architectshas received international recognition for planning projects and building design excellence. With a commitment to innovative and sustainable design solutions, the company’s portfolio includes colleges and universities, health care and research facilities, recreation and performance spaces.
For more information on Diamond and Schmitt Architects please contact:
Paul French
Manager, Public Relations
Diamond and Schmitt Architects
Phone: 416 862-8800 x454