July 4, 2008
Studio Barn
Brick masons are now laying new brick on the south facing wall of the Studio Barn. This work is now complete and eventually the new brick will weather and match the existing brick along the eaves.
Neighbours of the site will recall that part of this elevation was covered by a shed addition added to the building in the 1950s. The Heritage department agreed with the architects that the shed was not a significant part of the building and it was demolished to facilitate the overall design.
Work continues repairing the openings to accept the arched windows and wooden doors. Along with the heritage lamps, these elements on the façade of the Community Gallery at the east end of the Studio Barn are designed to recreate the main entrance of the TTC facility.
Covered Street Barn
Masons are replacing loose and damaged brick and clay block in the Covered Street Barn.
Community Barn
Workers are put the finishing touches on the roof of the Community Barn.
Green Barn
Currently installing glass on the new, more extensive skylight for the greenhouse.
Barn 5
Frames for the glazed curtain walls on the south side of the greenhouse in the Green Barn are being installed. Along with the skylight and the full height glazed walls at either end of the building, there will be sufficient daylighting for year-round food production.
April 30, 2008
Winter and its record breaking snowfalls are over and the finishing touches are going on all the roofs. This will allow the work to go ahead rapidly in all four barns.
The Studio Barn has almost all of its mechanical and electrical infrastructure in place and the drywall teams are about to begin their work partitioning the Live/Work and Work-Only studios.
The framing has begun in the Community Barn with infrastructure to follow.
The greenhouse skylight has been completed in the Green Barn and the extensive glazing on the south side has begun. The next two pages show some photos taken in the past few weeks showing recent construction progress.
Studio Barn
26 Live/Work Studios, 15 Work Studios, and Community Gallery: South facing elevation at Wychwood Avenue of the Studio Barn and east facing elevation near the corner of Benson Avenue and Christie Street showing window and door frames. The cinder block construction will be faced soon with recycled bricks.
Covered Street Barn
Community Animation Space: A section of wall in the Community Barn with original TTC safety signs.
Community Barn / Green Barn / Barn 5
The white roofing membrane that is typical of all the roofs. It is energy star compliant and environmentally friendly because it reduces the heat island effect created by standard black roofs, asphalt parking lots, etc.
The framing of studio spaces – offices for arts and environmental organizations – on the 2nd floor of the Community Barn.Greenhouse skylight assembly on The Stop Green Barn.
A mason preparing the brick wall to receive windows between the Community Garden in the Green Barn and the Community Barn. Wall inside the Green Barn and columns from Barn 5.
March 26, 2008
Artscape’s Jim Kroesen, LEED Certified!
In March, Artscape’s very own Manager of Buildings Jim Kroesen successfully passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Canada Professional Accreditation exam for new construction.
The exam, which is put out by the CGBC (Canadian Green Building Council), recognizes individuals who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the design/building process and to streamline the application and certification of LEED registered projects.
LEED Certification recognizes buildings that incorporate design, construction and operational practices that combine healthy, high quality and high-performance systems and materials with reduced environmental impacts. The Green Arts Barns will be the first heritage building redevelopment project in Ontario with LEED Canada Certification.
With his new status, Jim will be able to help with Artscape’s desire to implement green design and practices into all of the current buildings under the Artscape portfolio as well as future projects. This will be a step in Artscape’s commitment towards reducing our environmental impact and achieving superior economic performance in our buildings. Congratulations, Jim!
Environmental Features Videos with Paul Smith
Paul Smith, Green Arts Barns Second Site Manager, working with our construction manager, The Dalton Company, took us through some of the environmental aspects of the Barns on a recent site tour.
For some interesting environmental facts about the Barns, check out the two short videos on YouTube.
As well, for those of you who missed Councillor Joe Mihevc’s video in his last community e-newsletter, we have included it in this issue of the Green Arts Barns Update. Councillor Mihevc toured the Green Arts Barns with inaugural members of the Green Arts Barns Community Association and provides some insight into the construction underway.
Construction Update
This winter’s severe weather (and especially the record snowfall in February) has created unique challenges for our construction team at the Green Arts Barns. Below is a synopsis of what has been happening in each barn.
Studio Barn
26 Live/Work Studios, 15 Work Studios, and Community Gallery:
A great deal of mechanical and electrical infrastructure rough-in work has been installed including wiring, drains, sprinklers, communication conduits and water supply pipes. As well, ducts and vents for the ventilation and exhaust systems are being installed.
A large component of our LEED certification, the rainwater leaders for the stormwater recovery system roof drains, have been built and connected. Boilers and transformers are being connected in the second floor utility room and plywood installation, drywalling and ceiling framing has begun
and steel stud wall framing is almost complete.
Covered Street Barn
Community Animation Space: There is the 200 foot stretch of skylight that runs the entire length of the barn. Currently, aluminum skylight framing with glazing is being installed.
Community Barn
Offices, Rehearsal and Performance Spaces, Studios for Arts and Environmental Organizations: Low-hanging steel cross bracing is being removed from the second-floor studios and the steel partition wall framing and ground floor mechanical and electrical rough-ins will begin soon.
Green Barn
The Stop Community Food Centre Greenhouse, Programming Space, and Sheltered Garden: Aluminum framing for the wall and skylights of the greenhouse is underway. Greenhouse glass will be installed shortly and concrete restoration continues.
Barn #5
Part of the City Park: Artscape is managing the partial demolition and refurbishment of this barn for the City. The main east-west path through the park from Wychwood to Christie will run through the park and the work is almost completed. A new steel trellis is currently being fabricated.
February 27, 2008
Despite the higher than average snowfall over the past few weeks, construction crews have made substantial progress on the site. Here’s a snapshot of the work that is underway.
Studio Barn
Partition framing dividing studio units. Mechanical/electrical rough-ins. Sprinkler system installation. Concrete restoration. Light sandblasting of interior brickwork. Installation of roof drains
Community Barn
Sandblasting complete. Metal roof deck, roofing and aluminum skylight installation. Installation of roof drains
Covered Street Barn
Metal roof deck, roofing and aluminum skylight installation
Green Barn
A large part of the concrete restoration has been completed. Structural steel restoration. Steel framing for greenhouse skylights installation
January 28, 2008
Construction of the Green Arts Barns is moving swiftly to meet this fall’s completion date. We have successfully installed much of the underground services and the 50 wellholes in the geothermal field have been drilled.
Elements of each building are currently being refurbished for reinstallation such as wooden bi-fold doors and steel structures of beams and purlins in the Covered Street Barn. Excellent progress has been made in the Studio Barn along Benson Avenue where steel structures supporting the second floor have been installed and the cement flooring has been poured.
January and February will see the following work being done:
Studio Barn
Skylight curbs and roofing installation. Mechanical and electrical rough-ins (wiring, drains, air-handling ducts; boilers and heat pumps positioned in 2nd floor chimney utility room). Steel studding for demising walls installation. Light sandblasting of interior brick work
Covered Street Barn
Metal roof deck, roofing and aluminum skylight installation
Community Barn
Metal roof deck, roofing and aluminum skylight installation
Green Barn
Structural steel restoration
Steel framing for greenhouse skylights installation
November 13, 2007
We’re charging forward to meet next fall’s completion date. Here’s what we’ve accomplished as we focus on closing in the buildings before winter.
- The 50 well holes for the geothermal field have been drilled to a depth of 400’ each (200’ overburden, 200’ bedrock) with steel casing in piping installed in each hole. Trenching has begun throughout the grid to a depth of 10’.
- Underground services, drains, water supply, electrical & telecommunications conduit, and ground source heat pump piping have all been laid in the Studio, Covered Street and Community Barns (Barns 1–3), and partially in the Green Barn (Barn 4).
- Drains systems and manholes for sanitary and storm water overflow have been built to the property line on Benson and Wychwood Avenues. We hope to hook up to the city sanitary and storm sewers and connect to the city water supply lines in January.
Studio Barn
26 live/work studios, 15 work studios: utility and garbage rooms are completed. The steel structure supporting the second floor is installed. Cement slabs (floors) have been poured on the ground and second level. The stairways are in place for the Live/Work units along Benson Avenue. Concrete restoration continues; we are replacing sections of beams/roof. The window and door frames are being delivered in preparation for closing the barn in for winter.
Covered Street Barn
Community animation space: the original barn, along with its neighbour, the Community Barn, have steel structures of beams and purlins. They have been refurbished and leveled to accept the new steel roof panels, are now or will be installed shortly. The steel framing has been completed to accept the new skylight running the length of the building. Windows and doors as well as frames are a priority for pre-winter installation.
Community Barn
Offices, rehearsal and performance spaces, studios for arts and environmental organizations: the roof is going on and skylights are going in. The first and second floor steel structures are built and both cement slabs poured. The main utility room has been built and the adjacent elevator shaft is complete. Some ventilation ducting has been installed.
The Stop Community Food Centre’s Green Barn
Large wooden bi-fold doors are being refurbished off-site. The south walls have been removed between the columns down to a level of 6’ at the east end of the roof and some beams have been removed to accommodate the sheltered outdoor garden. The foundation has been installed for the community bake oven. The roof and columns are being prepared for aluminum framing for the greenhouse windows and skylights. A two-storey cement block wall has been built separating the greenhouse from the Stop’s offices, kitchen and programming spaces. A separate cement block room has been constructed for use by City Forestry, Parks and Recreation.
Barn 5, part of the city park
Artscape is managing this partial demolition/refurbishment for the city. The main east west path through the park will run through it. The gables (façade and one set of beams and columns) have been preserved at either end. The remainder of the columns along the south have been preserved and cut at a height of 14’ and lights will be mounted on them; steel trellises will link them end to end. The old foundation will be restored to serve as a sitting wall. The City provides stone paving, benches and plants as part of the development. The City begins construction on the park in the new year beginning on the east side.
July 26, 2007
It was relatively quiet on the site during the month of June due to some labour disputes in the construction trades that affected projects across the country. We are happy to report that these have been resolved and building has resumed at the required pace. The following work has recently been started, completed or is in progress:
- Roof demolition and replacement in the Covered Street Barn and the Community Barn
- Partial roof demolition and replacement in the Studio Barn and the Green Barn
- Removal of skylight frames in the Green Barn for reuse to the Studio Barn
- Partial demolition of Barn 5
- Basement utility rooms in the Studio Barn
- Retaining wall construction west of the Studio Barn
- Utility service trench that runs from the Studio Barn to the Community Barn
- Concrete restoration in the Studio Barn and the Green Barn
- Steel truss sandblasting in the Covered Street Barn and the Community Barn
- Overhead streetcar wire removal in the Studio, Covered Street, Community and Green Barns
- Removal of skylight glazing throughout to be replaced by new glazing in the Covered Street Barn and individual skylights in the Studio Barn and the Community Barn and expanded greenhouse skylight design in the Green Barn
- Removal of skylight glazing throughout to be replaced by new glazing in the Covered Street Barn and individual skylights in the Studio Barn and the Community Barn and expanded greenhouse skylight design in the Green Barn
- Ground source heat pump bore hole drilling to a depth of 400 ft. and installation of steel casing to a depth of 200 ft.
- Sewer installation on east side and along Benson Avenue
June 13, 2007
Heritage Preservation
As heritage buildings, we are often asked by community members how we determine what can and cannot be altered on the former Wychwood TTC streetcar repair barns as they are being redeveloped into the Green Arts Barns.
Jeff Hayes, an architect with E.R.A. Architects, our heritage consultants on the project, provided this definition of the HEA:
“A Heritage Easement Agreement is a legally-binding tool used to ensure a building's preservation and to control demolition. It is an agreement that was entered into between Artscape and the City and registered on title. The Heritage Easement Agreement for the TTC Wychwood Car Barns identifies elements of the barns which are to be retained in perpetuity and also sets out permitted alterations and development.
An Agreement was developed for the Wychwood Car Barns because they are architecturally significant as rare surviving examples of buildings associated with the origins of vehicular public transportation in the City of Toronto. The barn dating from 1913 is purportedly the oldest surviving car barn built for what would become the Toronto Transit Commission. The reasons for identification outlined in the agreement, and therefore protected, cover the four northernmost barns and concern primarily exterior features on the buildings such as exterior walls and roof elements (skylights and metal trusses), metal cornices, parapets with pediments incorporating date stones, concrete piers and corbels.
Alterations that are being made to the buildings have been reviewed and approved by the City’s Heritage Preservation Services department, which continues to review the progress of the work and retention of important elements on a regular basis.”
When the TTC decommissioned the barns – it had been used for storage for almost two decades – a number of artifacts were left behind. Many of these artifacts, for example signage, tools, and ladders, will be displayed throughout the Green Arts Barns after it is completed. In addition, Artscape will create a permanent heritage interpretation display in the public foyer in the Community Barn.
May 4, 2007
LEED: What it means to the Green Arts Barns, its members and the community
The Green Arts Barns will be a certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project. LEED Canada guidelines for new construction and major renovations are an adaptation of the US Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System tailored specifically for Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations. Artscape has registered the Green Arts Barns with the Canadian Green Building Council, which, when construction is completed and all the documentation has been submitted and technically reviewed, will determine the level of certification (certified, silver, gold, or platinum). LEED certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting higher performance standards in environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. We are proud to report that the Green Arts Barns will be the first LEED certified heritage building redevelopment project in Ontario.
In previous issues of the Green Arts Barns Update, we have reported on the geo-thermal heating and cooling system and the stormwater harvesting and reuse system, two of the green features that contribute to the prerequisites and credits that will ultimately determine how the project rates on the LEED scale. Here are the six categories that are the focus of these standards with some examples of how the Green Arts Barns meets the criteria.
1) Sustainable Sites
This section of LEED certification deals with the kind of sites that are being (re)developed and the impacts on them during and after construction. Points are awarded for remediating sites with contaminated materials on them, for preventing loss of soil due to water run-off or wind erosion during construction, using reflective roofing products and by replacing cement or other impervious surfaces with plant life. It also rewards elements that discourage the use of automobiles; for example, by building near transit, including bike storage and not building parking lots in public parks.
2) Water Efficiency
This is where our stormwater harvesting system and our water conserving toilets and shower heads come in. Their overall effect is to prevent about 70% of the water that falls on the site from going into the City’s sewers and treatment plants. It also means that we do not require water from the City to flush toilets or irrigate the park or greenhouse.
3) Energy and Atmosphere
Our geo-thermal heating and cooling system will be 30% more efficient than the best conventional systems, reducing costs and environmental impact by the same amount. There will also be no ozone damaging CFCs used for air conditioning or refrigeration.
4) Materials and Resources
This section includes a variety of progressive building practices like preserving elements of the existing buildings, providing space and services for member recycling, diverting most of the construction waste away from landfills and toward recycling and reuse, and using materials that are manufactured or extracted locally.
5) Indoor Environmental Quality
We will achieve credit here by ensuring compliance with indoor air quality standards set by government by providing a carbon dioxide monitoring system, using low-emitting materials, adhesives, sealants and paints and by cleaning and maintaining the buildings with green products.
6) Innovation & Design Process:
This last category is wide open to exciting and innovative elements and for that reason favors the Green Arts Barns. We’ll get points for all the LEED accredited individuals on our design teams, for providing and encouraging a green maintenance program, for providing environmental education to the public, for preserving and reusing heritage buildings and for providing space to non-profit environmental groups like:
Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests http://www.leaftoronto.org/
Citizens’ Environment Watch http://www.citizensenvironmentwatch.org/
Women’s Healthy Environments Network http://www.womenshealthyenvironments.ca/
The Canadian Green Building Council requires extensive documentation for each point that is granted; and acquiring LEED certification is an expensive proposition that requires extra work and dedication to detail on the part of our trades, consultants and Artscape staff. But LEED certification is well worth the effort; it has become the gold standard in today’s environmentally conscious world and it will help make the Green Arts Barns a showplace of sustainability and a green asset for the community.
For more information about LEED, visit the Canadian Green Building Council website at http://www.cagbc.org/
April 20, 2007
Stormwater Harvesting System Installed in Covered Street Barn
The 90 cubic meter stormwater harvesting system cistern has been installed underground in the Covered Street Barn (the second barn/1913 Barn). It will collect rainwater from the roof for reuse in the buildings and park and divert it from the City's sewer system. This has a major impact on the environment because pollution from stormwater runoff and untreated overflows from sewers degrade the water quality of Toronto's creeks and rivers and Lake Ontario.
Another environmental benefit is reduced water consumption on two levels: through the reuse of collected rainwater for flushing toilets, watering greenhouse plants, and for park irrigation; and by implementing low-flow faucets, low-flush toilets and waterless urinals. We estimate that the project will save a total of 6.59 cubic metres per day of potable water or 39.4% of estimated volume.
Low-flow faucets, low-flush toilets and waterless urinals also reduce the amount of waste water entering the City’s sewage treatment facility, thus decreasing the impact on the facility and reducing energy consumption required to treat the sewage. Like the geothermal heating and cooling system, stormwater harvesting is a major feature in the environmental sustainability of the Green Arts Barns.
Redevelopment of the Fifth Barn
In the very near future demolition work will begin on the fifth barn. The redevelopment of the fifth barn is part of the work, along with the park itself, which is being undertaken by the City’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department. However, because our construction in barns one to four share the same consultants and contractors, Artscape will be projectmanaging the fifth barn for the City.
As many of you know, the design for the fifth barn involves preserving the east and west end gables (open pediments & the columns and beams of one adjacent bay at each end) and the columns along the south side of the building to a height of 14 feet. The roof and the south wall between the columns will be removed.
The bricks from the south wall will be used to fill in the south wall at the east end of the first barn where the 1950s addition was removed. Benches will be installed along the foundation wall between the columns and a trellis will connect the columns for the entire length of the barn. The north wall of the barn will be opened up for most of its length for glazing for the greenhouse and the remainder will be reduced to a stub wall for the sheltered garden, both in the fourth barn.
Once completed, the fifth barn will be both a part of the park and provide a front porch entrance into the fourth barn with its greenhouse, bake oven and sheltered garden. From there, visitors can proceed into the third and second barns through the connecting vestibule. If you have any questions about the redevelopment of the fifth barn or the park, please contact Bob Duguid, City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department at bduguid1@toronto.ca or 416-392-1925.
If you have questions about the construction activities on the Green Arts Barns site, please contact Artscape's Director of Properties, Bruce Rosensweet at 416-392-1038, ext. 39 or
bruce@torontoartscape.on.ca
April 3, 2007
Construction Begins!
After a six year journey, and with special thanks to all the individuals and groups in the community that have worked so hard to make the Green Arts Barns a reality, Artscape is pleased to announce that Dalton Engineering & Construction has begun to mobilize its forces and our sub-trades on the site to begin construction. You will notice their trailers on the corner of Benson and Wychwood. The entire project should take 12 to 14 months to complete.
The work on construction sites generally begins around 7:00 a.m. Whenever possible, we have asked our contractors to discourage very noisy work and the arrival of large trucks first thing in the morning. At some point during the next few weeks, Coneco Environmental Construction will begin delivering over 13,000 tonnes or 6,000 m³ of clean fill to replace the soil in the barns that was removed to comply with environmental standards. This process will involve dumptrucks entering the site on both Wychwood Avenue and Christie Street. Because they recognize the significance of the Green Arts Barns and its benefits to the community, Coneco has generously donated all their labour, machinery and materials for this task.
Geo-Thermal System Installation
This geo-thermal heating and cooling system is a key element in the proposed LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) of the Green Arts Barns and should translate into a 30% or greater savings in energy consumption for heating and cooling.
For approximately three months beginning in early April, contractors will be installing the underground geo-thermal system. This work will be located in the northwest corner of the site and entail drilling 50 holes between 200 and 400 feet deep arranged in a grid pattern (5 east-west by 10 north-south). As the holes are drilled, continuous loop pipes are installed. In order to maintain the construction schedule, our construction manager has informed us that some of the drilling sessions may run 10 - 12 hours a day depending on the amount of resistance encountered from rock formations.
For more information on ground source heat pump systems, visit
http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/geothermal/commercial.htm or http://www.canren.gc.ca/prod_serv/index.asp?CaId=150&PgId=769 or any number of websites devoted to this topic.
