Award

July 2020

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J U LY 2 0 2 0 | 57 TTC McNicoll Bus Garage P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY S T R A S M A N A RC H I T EC T S I N C . Engineering Inc. "Initially this was a large black mass that nearby resi- dents thought was unpleasant," says Strasman. "So we complemented it with a balance of strip windows and a red metal accent band and sculpted the form as it transitioned into the canopy at the south to create a contin- uous street edge that aligns with an adjacent senior's residence." The wall's ability to achieve heat ventilation and reduce carbon emissions (an estimated 4,300 tons over the system's 40-year lifespan) was an additional benefit in increas- ing the sustainability of the garage, whose composition of precast panels, curtainwall glazing, and metal clad- ding was also used to help achieve TTC's goal of energy efficiency. Strasman's overall design phi- losophy was to celebrate rather than conceal the garage's operations, and this resulted in strategically placed glazing to offer visual cues into the internal operations of the facility, and various bright colours throughout the maintenance areas. MacDonald remarks, "On the west frontage especially, the windows are at eye level and you can see deep inside the facility." As for the green roof, at 100,000 square feet the TTC is believed to be one of the biggest in the country and definitely the largest in Toronto. "Plus it's a modular system," says MacDonald. "All the plants are in trays for easy removal during maintenance." Construction was uneventful save for the preservation of an oak tree that had been planted by a local soldier upon his return from fighting abroad in World War One: his story was ren- dered on an acoustic feature wall adjacent to the seniors' home. MacDonald says that "Covid-19 threw us a curve ball, but fortunately we were considered an essential proj- ect and kept going, and Button Eastern Joint Venture did a great job in main- taining site safety. They really came through in finishing the job on time." As of July, the McNicoll Bus Garage was still in the commissioning stages, but MacDonald points out that man- agers had moved in and were thrilled with their new workplace. "They say the facility sets a new standard for bus garages in our city, and I would agree," he says. "Undoubtedly, this project will influence similar ones as transit continues to grow in Toronto." A Vipond.indd 1 17-01-20 4:03 PM

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