Award

Aura at College Park p58-63Aura.indd 63 cosy up to one of the two outdoor fireplaces set into a long marble-clad wall. Nine full-sized trees (Locust and Ginko) are to be planted on the terrace in extra-deep planters that sit level with the walkway. With moveable furniture scattered in amongst them, the space will feel like a streetscape. Location Yonge Street at Gerrard Street Toronto, Ontario Owner/Developer Canderel Property Management Architect Graziani + Corazza Architects Inc. General Contractor Reliance Construction Toronto Structural Consultant Yolles, a CH2M Hill Company Mechanical/ Electrical Consultant Smith + Andersen Building Sciences Consultant Construction Control Inc. BIM Coordinator/ Pre-Fabrication Designer CAD Overflow Landscape Architect Cosburn Nauboris Interior Design Graziani + Corazza + Biase Interior Architecture Total Area 1,340,000 square feet Total Cost Undisclosed renderings courtesy Graziani + Corazza Architects Inc. than wrap the ground floor in construction hoarding, the architects designed a temporary steel skirt fastened to steel beams protruding from the fifth floor to protect the pedestrian activity on the west and south sides. The north side remains a staging area for construction where three elevators move equipment, supplies and labour up as high as 42 storeys at the time of writing. At 78 storeys, the mechanical systems have to work harder than in a typical condominium building, explains Doug Smith, a principal at Smith + Andersen, which served as the mechanical and electrical consultant on the project. ���It���s an enormous heating and cooling load, so distributing that through the building is a challenge given not only the height but the limited size at the top,��� he says, explaining that strategies were devised to accommodate for the expansion and contraction of such long pipes by anchoring them in locations structurally reinforced to withstand these forces and allowing expansion in other sections. The residential access to the building is on the west side fronting on the park, explains landscape architect Howard Nauboris of Cosburn Nauboris, who was challenged by the continuing redevelopment of the park itself. Without knowing what the three-acre park with water feature would look like when was done, Nauboris opted simply to keep the exterior spaces of Aura open and airy, using granite pavers to tie into the materials of the lobby and the motor court. (The motor court is mostly granite ��� even the driving surface ��� with black concrete curbs.) Nauboris��� firm also helped develop the fifth floor���s massive rooftop terrace, which is divided into communal and semi-private spaces. The key area is a kind of main square and an extension of that stretches north alongside the fifth floor interior���s private dining rooms. Residents can access private barbecue spaces, relax on the wooden sundeck facing a 16-foot-high granite water feature, and on a chilly evening, ���We had a big open space to work with so we wanted to have enough semi-private places but also have spaces where people would gather to be seen,��� says Nauboris adding that this main space is sometimes referred to as the ���club��� area. The main lobby is designed as a clean, light, bright space to make it more art gallery than condo lobby, explains interior designer Nino Francavilla��of Graziani + Corazza + Biase Interior Architecture. ���We wanted everything to have a modern, minimalist feel keeping the palette neutral,��� he says. The soaring 30-foot-high glass wall looking out onto the park also exposes a giant 20-by-10 artwork set in relief into the wall and opposite a sculpture ��� also commissioned for the project. Black granite benches will run the length of the lobby on both sides leading to the residents��� lounge. Here, explains Francavilla, a large curved sofa will sit before a fireplace and an eight-foot-square upholstered bench. Despite its spectacular height, expansive views and prestigious penthouses, Aura���s ongoing relevance will be about how it connects with the city. And connecting it to one of the core���s largest green spaces is likely to give it more stature than any height it will reach. ��� february 2013��� ��� /63 13-01-22 3:38 PM

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