Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/137453
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Office by Martha Uniacke Breen hen The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario decided to build anew rather than remain in the original downtown Toronto headquarters, they saw it as an opportunity to lead by example. As a federation that is instrumental in influencing the young minds of tomorrow, it set its sights on becoming the first LEED Platinum newbuild in the city, and one of the first in North America. As Gene Lewis, the ETFO general secretary, puts it, "One of the goals of our organization is environmental protection and education. Our members are leaders in education and we felt they should lead in the kind of building we built." Kael Opie, project associate with KPMB Architect Inc., the head architect on the project, says that to lead by example ETFO knew this building had to be sustainable "from an environmental perspective, but also in terms of city-building." Opie adds, "To that end, a highly-efficient and cost-effective building was a top priority, but the building also had to reflect the positive role the organization has in the community. The building also needed to be healthy, comfortable and flexible." Lewis explains that getting the new building built, let alone setting a new environmental standard, was no easy feat. The two-acre property on which it stands, purchased in 2007, sits in the middle of a dense urban neighbourhood and the community was very vocal about what kind of development they would support. Lewis, Opie and other members of the team attended a series of meetings with photos courtesy ETFO W Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Office p56-59ETFO.indd 57 community groups and with Kyle Rae, the local councillor at the time, and listened to their concerns. The team carefully worked the concerns of the neighbours-to-be into the design, Lewis explains, and eventually the community became strong supporters. "Facade materials were chosen to blend into the neighbourhood rather than challenge it, with brick-colouredfibre cement panels and a subdued warm-grey palette. Crisp whites and light ash wood surfaces on the interior extenuate the abundant natural light," Opie says. "Setbacks and height-lines are defined by the scale of the adjacent buildings. Natural light and fresh air were critical, so we provided operable windows in every office and workspace. A top-lit atrium running the full height of the building lets natural light penetrate deep into the floor plate." The building also takes advantage of an extensive geothermal field below the building: 85 wells at 500 feet each. "The time required for a traditional approach to installing and drilling the field represented a very real schedule issue, so the contractor suggested a innovative approach, and used compact electric drill rigs, developed from the mining industry, to drill the exchange wells after the structural slabs above were in place and the structural shoring had been removed. This is the first project application of this new drilling technology in the world," he adds. "The site demanded a very sensitive and measured response, which respected the multivalent nature of the neighborhood," Opie says. "After a lot of listening and careful thinking, we were able to offer a scheme that provided something very positive, to both our client and the community." Mike Feindel of Blackwell Bowick Partnership Ltd., the structural engineers on the project, says it was quite interesting – not to mention challenging – to translate some of the more unusual aspects of the design into three dimensions. In particular, the design is shaped to minimize shadows on neighbouring houses and to maximize the amount of natural light filtering down from the highest levels, which meant some interior structures, such as the stairwell, appear to "float" in the space. "The switchback stair in the atrium that is hung off each floor [is one example]," he says. "Instead of hangers or posts, the stair stringers were connected to the floor diaphragm. A vibration analysis was also conducted to see if the stairs were too bouncy." Other innovative solutions included the large cantilever at the east side, over the entry to the parking garage, which supports the upper levels of the building. As he june 2013 /57 13-05-30 2:22 PM